an analysis of implementation of beijing ......2 this analysis was prepared by undp map project...
TRANSCRIPT
1
AN ANALYSIS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF BEIJING
DECLARATION AND PLATFORM FOR ACTION IN ARMENIA
The analysis has been conducted within the framework of the program
Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia
Yerevan 2020
---------------------------
2
This analysis was prepared by UNDP MAP Project Responsible Party OxYGen Foundation, in the frames of the
UNDP “Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia” Project. The opinions expressed in this article are the
author's observations and do not reflect the view of the UNDP or its other partners on this Project.
The goal of the program Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia is to strengthen Armenia’s legislature so that
it can perform its key functions of development of laws, oversight and representativeness. The goal is also to
support the Parliament so that the public administration system utilizes new tools and mechanisms promoting
improvement of work quality, transparency and inclusiveness, as well as development of gender-sensitive
policies. The program is jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, the RA National
Assembly, the OxYGen Foundation, and the International Center for Human Development with support from
the United Kingdom’s Good Governance Fund and the Government of Sweden.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 5
PART 1. CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN: EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF WOMEN ... 7
ACHIEVEMENTS .............................................................................................................. 9
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION............................................................................ 10
CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................... 34
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................... 37
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ................................ 38
PART 2. CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN: WOMEN AND ARMED CONFLICT ............... 39
ACHIEVEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 41
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION............................................................................ 43
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................. 52
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ................................ 53
PART 3. CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN: WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY .................... 54
ACHIEVEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 56
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION............................................................................ 59
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................ 74
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ................................ 75
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 76
4
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
NA National Assembly
ILO International Labor Organization
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
CoE Council of Europe
EU European Union
CEDAW UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
NGO Non-governmental organization
RA Republic of Armenia
SSA Statistical Service of Armenia
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UN United Nations Organization
UN SC United Nations Security Council
HDI Human Development Index
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
BPfA Beijing Platform for Action
SMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises
WEF World Economic Forum
UNHDI United Nations Human Development Index
STEM Science, technology, engineering and mathematics;
PSI Preschool institution
RA MoESCS RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport
RA MLSA RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
HILCS Households’ Integrated Living Conditions Survey
NQF National Qualifications Framework
EPSEN Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs
SME DSC Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship Development Support Center /SME DSC/, currently,
“Investment Support Center” Foundation /ISCF/
ADB Asian Development Bank
YSU Yerevan State University
VET Vocational Education and Training
IT Information Technologies
TIMSS Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
UN SC United Nations Security Council
NAP National Action Plan
NK/NKR Nagorno Karabagh/Nagorno Karabagh Republic
ICSE ILO International Classification of Status in Employment
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
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INTRODUCTION
The year 2020 marks 25 years since the day when, in 1995, more that 17 thousand official
delegates from 189 countries, including from Armenia, came together at the Fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing.1
The discussions were proceeding at two parallel platforms: the official-level conference
was held in Beijing and, at the same time, the forum of non-governmental organizations with
participation of 30 thousand activists was taking place in Huairou located in the outskirts of
Beijing.
The one hundred eighty-nine states participating in the Beijing Conference made
commitments to the unanimously adopted Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Up to date, the Platform for Action has been considered the most comprehensive and
fundamental agreement in the area of expansion of women’s rights and opportunities and
attainment of gender equality. The volume of the document and its highly orderly structure
are impressive in themselvves: twelve critical areas of concern and, within each one’s
framework, situational analysis, outline of strategic objectives and actions to be taken
addressed to governments, civil society and other responsible bodies.2
In fact, it is the Beijing Platform for Action that put into circulation the formula of equal
rights and equal opportunities for women and men, which aimed at eliminating the gap
existing between women’s declaratory rights and the actual effective exercise of those rights.
Within the framework of the post-Beijing developments, the formula of equal rights and
equal opportunities has been endorsed in all future programmatic documents and
supplemented with the concept of equality of outcome.
The main feature of the Beijing Platform for Action is that right from the start it was
possible to ensure the crosscutting and unity of opinions of states and civil society and, thanks
to that, the high quality of the document.
Already at the development stage of the Plan it was obvious that only political will was
not enough to bring to life the idea of gender equality. It was necessary to engage all civil
society institutions that could influence public opinion. Therefore, the recommendations on
the twelve critical areas of concern are aimed at both the state and civil society structures.
1 In 1995, there were 26 women from Armenia participating in the Beijing Conference: 8 members of the official delegation and 18 representatives of non-governmental organizations. By the way, His Holiness Karekin I Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians was among those unique clergymen who sent, during those days, his message to the participants in the Fourth World Conference on Women. 2 Unfortunately, the Armenian translation of the document is available only in a brief unofficially translated version.
6
The Beijing Platform of Action is not only a fundamental guide for the states to ensure
gender equality, but also a comprehensive strategy for development of women’s movement.
In the entire world, including Armenia, the Beijing Platform for Action has become a powerful
stimulus for growth of women’s organizations.
And although not all of the more than 50 women’s organizations created in Armenia
since 1995 has been able to develop over the time, the Beijing Platform for Action has served
as a roadmap for development of many women’s organizations, which is continuing in the
republic through making sense of that strategic document and its novel interpretation by
newly-created non-governmental organizations.
Today, within the framework of the Beijing +25 process initiated to implement these
commitments, Armenia has a more than active role since in 2020-2021 it is chairing the UN
Commission on the Status of Women, which is an oversight body for issues related to the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.
Today too, 25 years later, in line with the tradition developed at the Beijing Conference,
the observation of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action is carried out at two
levels: at the official level through national reports presented by governments and parallel to
that through alternative reports submitted by non-governmental organizations.
This paper, being an analysis of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in Armenia, is a version of alternative reporting, which reflects on the
three out of the twelve critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action of pivotal
significance for Armenia: Education and Training of Women, Women and Armed Conflict, and Women and the Economy.
7
PART 1.
CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN:
EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF WOMEN
8
The strategic objectives formulated for the critical area of concern on Education and
Training of Women in the Beijing Platform for Action are as follows:
1. Ensure equal access to education,
2. Eradicate illiteracy among women,
3. Improve women’s access to vocational training, science and technology, and
continuing education,
4. Develop non-discriminatory education and training,
5. Allocate sufficient resources for and monitor the implementation of educational
reforms,
6. Promote life-long education and training for girls and women.
Below presented is a general evaluation of achievements of the state policies aimed at
ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men in the area of education and
training and of systemic issues over the past five years. Presented are also recommendations
on improving the effectiveness of the NA and Government’s actions.
ACHIEVEMENTS
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION
CONCLUSIONS
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
9
ACHIEVEMENTS
Over the past five years, no major achievements have been recorded in the area of
education and training, however, there have been some positive changes.
The most significant change is that since 2015 secondary education has become
mandatory (before that the main education was mandatory). It was stipulated through April
8, 2015 addition to the RA Law on Education, according to which, the twelve–year-long
secondary education or technical vocational education and training in the Republic of
Armenia became mandatory for students under the age of 19.
Another positive shift is the fact that the RA Government has finally acknowledged
and voiced that there are children in the republic who are not studying and are left out of
school. The March 6, 2020 addition to the RA Law on General Education assigned to the RA
Government the responsibility for defining the order and procedure for detection and referral
of children left out of the mandatory education.3
More emphasis is placed on the necessity of inclusive education. Planned is the
organization of the educational process in schools by credits and remotely.
Although small, but nevertheless an achievement is the fact that children’s enrolment
in preschool institutions expanded in 2018 reaching 34% as compared to 29% in 2014.
Gender segregation in some areas of education has reduced. Over the past ten years,
the percentage of girls studying mathematical sciences, chemistry and arts has increased. The
number of women admitted to and graduated from PhD programs has doubled.
Thanks to the efforts of gender experts some educational and methodological packages
and textbooks of the general education school have undergone gender expertise. The standard,
syllabus, eight-grade textbook and teacher’s manual of the subject of Civics in the general
education school have undergone expert review from the perspective of identifying and
exlcuding gender stereotypes and materials associated with gender inequality.
Recommendations have been developed and submitted. To create criteria for gender expertise
of the educational literature, a gender expert review has been conducted of the main and
alternative textbooks for the following subjects taught at primary school: primer, native
language, mathematics, me and the environment, techology, physical education, fine arts, and
music.
3 http://parliament.am/legislation.php?sel=show&ID=6984&lang=arm
10
Topics related to gender stereotypes, equality and tolerance, and gender policies have
been incorporated into the training programs for deputy principals, form-masters, social
pedagogues, and psychologists of general education schools.
Work aimed at involving girls into STEM4 education has been activated. As a result of
the program on Implementation of STEM Education and Robotics Development in Schools,
according to the 2019 data, all RA marzes are operating engineering laboratories and robotics
clubs. The program aims at contributing to enhancement of skills of girls and women and
development of STEM knowledge, as well as at easing their entry into the labor market.
Women’s involvement in information technologies (IT) in Armenia is considered not
low, 37%, however, there is a potential for growth if more purposeful work is carried out in
this direction.
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION
Legal regulations
In the Republic of Armenia, the educational system includes preschool education,
twelve-year secondary education (primary education -4 years, main education -5 years, high
school -3 years), higher education (with 6th and 7th levels of the National Qualifications
Framework, NQF), and post-graduate education (NQF 8th level: Master’s and PhD Degrees).
According to the RA legislation, secondary education is mandatory and free, everyone has the
right to receive free professional education on a competitive basis.
In the republic, Conceptual Framework for Gender Policies5 was endorsed in 2010 and
the RA Law on Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men was
approved in 2013. The framework and the law provide for prohibition of discrimination and
equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men in all areas of public life.
The field of education is regulated by a number of laws: On Education (1999), On
Preschool Education (2005), On General Education, On Technical Vocational Education and
Training (2005), and On Higher and Post-Graduate Professional Education (2004). The laws
regulating the field of education provide for students’ equal opportunities, accessibility,
continuity, and succession.
4 STEM – Science, technology, engineering and mathematics; STEM is an educational program based on the idea of educating students in four special subjects: sciene, technology, engineering, and mathematics through an interdisciplinary and practical approach. 5 https://www.gov.am/u_files/file/kananc-xorh/Gender-hayecakarg.pdf, page 16
11
In 2015, the 2011-2015 Strategic Program on Gender Policies in the Republic of
Armenia approved by the RA Government came to its completion. The program’s subsection
on Strategies of Implementation of Gender Policies in the Area of Education envisaged:
• To incoporate a gender component in the state policies on education and science,
• To create an educational and methodological basis for teaching the fundamentals of
gender knowledge,
• To introduce a component for conveyance of gender knowledge (module) in training
courses for pedagogical specialists,
• To introduce criteria for conduct of gender expertise of educational literature,
• To promote conduct of scholarly gender research.
The monitoring of the program implementation demonstrated that although the strategic
program envisioned incorporation of a gender component in the state policies on education and science
and some work had been carried out in that direction, Armenia’s international obligations were not
directly reflected in the strategic program and no systematized work had been carried out in that
direction.6
No program was adopted in the republic for 2015-2018 gender policies, which has significantly
impeded the progress in this direction. Later, by its September 19, 2019 Decree, the RA Government
endorsed the 2019-2023 Strategy on Implementation of Gender Policies in the Republic of Armenia.
Strategic priority 3 is Expansion of of Women’s and Men’s Full and Effective Participation and Equal
Opportunities in the Areas of Education and Science, the implementation of which is expected to
achieve the following:
1) Prevention of formation of gender discrimination among students,
2) High-level of awareness of human rights, democracy and gender equality among
students of genderal education, technical vocational education and training, as well as
higher professional educational institutions,
3) High-level of awareness of healthy lifestyle and gender roles among students of
general education schools, development of the necessary life skills among students,
6 Report on Assessment of the Implementation of 2011-2015 Gender Policy Strategic Plan and 2011-2015 National Action Plan to Combat Gender-based Violence, Yerevan, UNDP http://un.am/up/library/Assessement_2011-
2015_Gender%20Policy_arm.pdf
12
5) Raised awareness of gender equality topics and development of gender sensitivity
among the leadership and teachers of educational institutions,
6) Formation of gender sensitivity towards the process of universal inclusiveness,
7) Implementation of effective policies towards gender discrimination manifestations
identified in the areas of education and science,
8) Transformation of gender stereotypes regarding professions and exclusion of
disriminatory manifestations in selection of professions.
It is significant that the strategy ascribes importance to detection of children not
attending school for different social reasons (including those having disability, belonging to
national minorities and girls living in rural areas) and their enrolment in school.
Thus, the RA legislation and legal documents provide for prohibition of sex-based
discrimination, mandatory secondary education irrespective of sex, enrolment in vocational
and higher education institutions on a competitive basis and the right to post-graduate
education on a competitive basis.
Ensuring equal access to education
At the legislative level, there is no discrimination in the area of education, however,
under the circumstances of latent discrimination, existence of gender stereotypes on the place
and role of women and men in the family and society and in the context of person’s or family’s
socio-economic status and affiliation with national minorities, there are differences from the
perspective of opportunities, motivation to receive education, choice of professional
orientation and professional growth.
General education
Preschool education. In 2018, the RA had 884 community-based, departmental and non-
state preschool institutions (PSI), 686 of which were kindergartens, 67 – nursery-
kindergartens, and 131 – school-kindergartens.7
Diagram 1. PSIs in towns and villages
7 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_4.pdf, page 20
13
Children’s enrolment in PSIs stood at 31.6% (33.6% in case of girls), 36.5% in towns
and 22.6% in villages.8 Three- to five-year-old children’s enrolment in PSIs made up 59.9%,
six-year-olds – 33.2%, and one and a half to three-year-olds -6.6%.9 That is to say, there is
low availability of nursery-kindergartens.
Table 1. Children’s enrolment in preschool institutions by marzes, 2018
PSI number Girls Boys
Yerevan 220 16207 16805
Aragatsotn Marz 30 1219 1220
Ararat Marz 78 3251 3491
Armavir Marz 103 3186 3339
Gegharkunik Marz 47 1813 2004
Lori Marz 94 2494 2655
Kotaik Marz 53 3157 3484
Shirak Marz 114 2613 2842
Syunik Marz 50 2184 2349
Vayots Dzor Marz 31 636 731
Tavush Marz 64 1637 1757
Total 884 38397 40677
8 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_1.pdf, page 4 9 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_1.pdf, page 7
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2018 2014 2008
Town PSIs in towns Villige PSIs in Villages
14
As one can see from the table, children’s enrolment level greatly differs from marz to
marz.
Diagram 2. Children’s enrolment in PSIs by marzes, 2018
The above diagram clearly shows the difference between the marzes. The highest
indicator was recorded in Syunik, where children’s enrolment was 53.3%, and the lowest in
Gegharkunik, 21.9%.10 Forty-nine per cent of children attending preschool institutions in 2018
were girls.11
Table 2. Children’s enrolment in preschool institutions by marzes (percentage), with comparison between 2014
and 2018
2014 2018
Total Girls Total Girls
Yerevan 36.8 37.6 36.0 37.1
Aragatsotn Marz 19.3 20.3 22.8 24.6
Ararat Marz 27.2 28.0 31.4 32.3
Armavir Marz 20.3 21.8 31.9 33.4
Gegharkunik Marz 16.4 18.6 21.1 21.9
Lori Marz 22.7 23.3 28.4 28.9
Kotaik Marz 27.9 27.9 31.7 31.8
Shirak Marz 21.6 23.1 27.3 27.9
10 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_1.pdf, page 25 11 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_1.pdf, page 2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Yerevan
Aragatsotn marz
Ararat marz
Armavir marz
Gegharkunik marz
Lori marz
Kotayk marz
Shirak marz
Syunik marz
Vayots Dzor marz
Tavush marz
Total
percentage of children enrolled
15
Syunik Marz 42.1 45.2 52.6 53.3
Vayots Dzor Marz 25.3 27.8 37.5 36.5
Tavush Marz 33.5 34.6 39.7 41.2
Total 28.7 29.9 32.6 33.6
As compared with 2014, there is improvement in almost all the marzes. The increase
in enrolment is especially high in Armavir, Syunik, and Vayots Dzor marzes. The state is
carrying out some work to increase the number of preschool institutions. Within the
framework of the credit program on Improvement of Education, in 2017, the state established
23 preschool institutions in the RA Aragatsotn, Syunik, Ararat, and Gegharkunik marzes with
18 created in rural and 5 in urban communities, which allows the enrolment of 1 200 children.
However, the situation in this area is not satisfactory yet. In 2019, the cooperation between
the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport and UNICEF resulted in review of
state educational standards for preschool education. Alternative cost-effective models of
preschool education were developed. According to the 2020 data, more that 171 thousand
children, or 70% of children, do not attend kindergartens in Armenia.12
According to the results of the integrated living conditions survey of households, the
gross enrolment index in preschool institutions makes up 33% in non-poor households, and
respectively 28% and 0% in poor (excluding extremely poor) and extremely poor households.13
The main reasons for non-enrolment in kindergartens are the following: non-working mother
(39.5%), absence of a kindergarten in a given location (11.3%), the expensiveness of enrolment
and the closed status of preschool institutions (2.1%).14 According to the 2018 research data,
59.9% of rural households have responded that the preschool institution is located at a distance
of one kilometer. For 5.4%15 of households, the kindergarten is located at a distance of more
than ten kilometres and in these conditions, especially because of lack of public transportation
or inaffordability, it is very difficult for poor families to enrol in it. UNICEF’s new report on
A World Ready to Learn: Prioritizing Quality Early Childhood Education notes that those
12 http://womennet.am/%d5%af%d5%a1%d5%bc%d5%a1%d5%be%d5%a1%d6%80%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%a9%d5%b5%d5%
b8%d6%82%d5%b6%d5%a8-%d5%ad%d5%b8%d5%bd%d5%bf%d5%a1%d5%b6%d5%b8%d6%82%d5%b4-%d5%a7-
%d5%af%d5%a1%d5%a6%d5%b4%d5%a1%d5%af%d5%a5/
13 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_4.pdf, page 28 14 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_4.pdf, page 29 15 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_4.pdf, page 30
16
countries where the majority of children do not receive preschool education lose the
opportunity to make a profitable investment, which deepens the inequality in society.16
Thus, although the legislation provides for the right of the child to receive preschool
education, the enrolment of children in preschool institutions is very low. The differences by
sex are not major and, as a rule, correspond to the proportion of respective age groups.
However, there are major differences by marzes and from the perspective of rural-urban
breakdown and the social conditions of the family. A larger number of rural children are
deprived of the opportunity to attend a preschool institution. There is also a difference
between different locations in terms of kindergarten housing conditions and resources. At
present, no data are available on the extent to which the situation has changed due to the
community consolidation. If the kindergartens existing in a consolidated community are to
service children from all community locations, a problem might arise for children from poor
families because of a great distance between the residence and the kindergarten and lack of
transportation.
Secondary education. Within the context of the UN Millennium Development Goals, the
Government of Armenia, in line with its commitments associated with the area of education,
had set a task to achieve a universal enrolment of children in the main school, 99.4%, and the
high school, 95%, by 2015, however, the set goals have not been achieved. In the 2018-2019
academic year, the gross enrolment index of children in schools was 83.0% with 91.1% in the
primary school, 89.4% in the main school, and 59.9% in the high school.17
16 A World Ready to Learn: Prioritizing quality early childhood education, global report, UNICEF
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/A%20World%20Ready%20to%20Learn_MAIN%20REPORT%20%28
embargoed%20until%209%20APRIL%29.pdf 16 17 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_2.pdf, page 6
17
Diagram 3. Degree of correspondence to the RA commitment for 2015 set in line with the Millennium Goals,
2018, (percentages)
Girls make up 47% of students in the primary school, 47% in the main school, and 51%
in the high school.18 At that, in 2014, 80.2% of girls were enrolled in the high school and in
2018 – 65.7% (boys’ enrolment was 54.8%).19
The reduction in the gross enrolment index of students in the high school is explained
by the drop in the latter’s rating, as a result of which 15.9% of students continue their
education at technical vocational education and training institutions20, which incorporate a
mandatory component of the general education program. In 2018, the enrolment of girls in
general education schools was 91.4% as compared to 93.5% in 2014 (there are major differences
between marzes: the highest percentage is in Kotaik, 98.5%, and the lowest percentage in
Gegharkunik, 85%).21
Diagram 4. The gross enrolment index of students in state and non-state general education schools according to
sex, the RA marzes, and the city of Yerevan, 2018
18 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_2.pdf, page 10 19 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_2.pdf, page 84 20 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2018_a_4.pdf, page 24 21 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_2.pdf, page 83
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
Primary school Main school High school High school and VET
The RA commitment 2018
18
Diagram 4 shows that, in all the marzes, children’s enrolment in general education
schools, as compared to the commitments made by the Republic of Armenia, is low, though
there are differences between marzes. In all the marzes, due to the earlier entry into the labor
market, more boys than girls are left out of school. The indicator for non-attendance of school
is higher in the high school, which is presented in Diagram 5.
Diagram 5. The gross enrolment index of students in state and non-state general education high schools
according to sex, the RA marzes, and the city of Yerevan, 2018
According to the HILCS results, children’s gross enrolment in primary school (1-4
grades) does not differ much by the level of poverty. In the conditions of secondary education,
the dropout of students from high school is highest because of the poverty. The gross
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
total girls boys
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
total girls boys
19
enrolment in high school is 74% in case of non-poor households, 67% in case of poor
households (excluding extremely poor), and 52% in case of extremely poor households.22
There is inequality between rural and urban schools in terms of education quality,
which can render village children incompetitive in pursuit of higher education. Due to a small
number of children in rural schools, there is wide prevalence of ‘mixed-grade classes,’ which
cannot yield the same result as the regular educational process. Rural schools have lack of
teachers, which leaves its impact on the quality of education too. In 2019, the Decree of the
RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport endorsed the experimental procedure
for distance learning in the RA general education institutions in the 2019-2020 academic year,
which should help reduce teacher shortages in marz schools through distance learning. In
2020, due to the spread of coronavirus and in the conditions of the state of emergency, the
transition to distance learning in the republic accelerated, although the difference in
accessibility of resources for rural and urban children manifested itself once again.
The reasons for dropout of women and girls from the field of general education
Reasons for the dropout of children from school are different. During 2018, 7.8% of 15- to
17- year-old children did not attend any educational institution.23 According to the official
data, at the start of the 2018-2019 academic year, the number of students left out of general
education schools was 367 with 151 of them (41%) being girls. In comparison with 2013
(1070 children24), this indicator significantly dropped. Forty-two girls were left out of school
due to bad socio-economic conditions, 78 girls did not attend school due to their parents’
prohibition (the reasons for prohibition are not clear), 9 girls because of incapacity, and 22
because of death.25 With secondary education being mandatory, the dropout of students
from higher grades can, as noted above, be explained by high poverty rates26 and low
probability for costs compensation after the entry into the labor market in the conditions of
non-satisfactory quality of education.
An important consideration with respect to this issue is the large distance to schools in
the conditions of bad inter-village roads. There are villages that do not have secondary schools.
22 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_4.pdf, page 32 23 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_4.pdf, page 32 24 http://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_12_3-4.pdf , 2013 25 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_2.pdf, page 20 26 Presently developed are draft decrees on Endorsing the Procedure for Detection and Referral of Children Left Out of Manadatory Education and on Approving the Criteria and Toolkits for Creation of New-Generation Textbooks and Auxiliary Educational Literature. Developed and submitted to the RA Governement is also the RA Government’s draft decree on Approving the Program on Introduction of Altenative Cost-Effective Models of Preschool Education. However, their effectiveness can be evaluated only in two-three years.
20
According to the data of the 2018 survey, 74.8% of rural households have responded that the
secondary school is located at a distance of up to one kilometer. At the same time, 2.5% of
households have responded that it is located at a distance of four and more kilometres and
0.1% have responded that the nearest school is situated at a distance of more than ten
kilometres.27 The research results demonstrate that, taking into account Armenia’s
mountainous terrain and the cut-off of villages from one another, the road to school becomes
a serious ordeal. This road is often not safe not only for climatic reasons (impassibility of the
roads during the winter months), but also in terms of physical safety. Both girls and boys are
disadvantaged by the absence of schools, but it adversely affects especially girls since it is them
that their parents, often for safety considerations, forbid to go on foot from their villages to
school at another village. The social infrastructure of rural residences is highly vulnerable also
from the perspective of ensuring the diversity of education for children. Missing are music,
sports, art, mathematics schools, as well as those with other orientation. Due to the non-
availability of proper transportation, rural children do not have access to such schools in towns.
According to the conducted interviews, girls are especially disadvantaged as the long distance
to educational facilities becomes a bigger obstacle for them. In case of boys, there are, as a
rule, no obstacles to free movement due to safety considerations.
Children with disability also have problems with access to education. Secondary
schools generally do not have additional conditions and the necessary resource base for
children with disability, although some work is being carried out in that direction. The home-
based education envisioned by law does not provide full knowledge. In 2017, universal
inclusive education was introduced in the RA Lori and Tavush marzes. The authorities
continue to implement their commitment to have full inclusive education by 2025. Inclusive
education implies joint learning of children with and without disability at community schools.
However, according to research, the dynamics of growth of inclusive schools demonstrates
that the process is moving forward very slowly.28 Moreover, in the opinion of specialists,
Armenia has an integrated education model rather than inclusive education.29 In the 2017-
2018 academic year, there was inclusive education in 201 of the republic’s general education
schools, where approximately 6 223 children with special educational needs (EPSEN children)
were studying. And in the 2018-2019 academic year, there was inclusive education in 136 of
the republic’s general education schools, where approximately 3 330 children with special
27 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_4.pdf, page 33 28 https://ampop.am/inclusive-education-in-armenia/ 29 http://www.osf.am/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Inclusive-education-report_ARM-without-tools.pdf
21
educational needs were studying.30 Stereotypes in this respect are preserved and persist;
however, more disadvantaged by them are girl children. Interviews conducted during some
research show that “due to the society’s non-tolerant attitude, parents often conceal their
disabled children from their millieu and limit their interactions, with their reasoning being
that it is shameful.”31
Girls drop out from schools especially in national minority communities (Yezidis and
Molokans). In 2009, the CEDAW Committee invited the attention of Armenia’s Government
to this fact in its Concluding Observations on Armenia’s third and fourth periodic reports.32
Due to lack of relevant statistics, it is difficult to assess the percentage of girls’ dropout and
early marriages. Some actions are taken in different marzes, where national minorities make
up larger numbers. For example, in 2018-2019, the Development Center of Armavir NGO
implemented the programs on Promotion of the Right to Education for Yezidi Women/Girls
and on Protection of the Right to Education of Yezidi Girls and Women in Armavir and
Aragatsotn Marzes through Awareness Raising of the Population and Capacity Building of
Teachers33 with financial support from the Embassies of the USA and Canada in Armenia. In
the RA marzes, NGOs have periodically organized seminars and discussions on the problems
related to the dropout of Yezidi students, and in particular, of Yezidi girls from general
education institutions. Participating in these events have been representatives of the
Department for Education, Culture, and Sport of Armavir Regional Administration. However,
these activities are episodic and are not well coordinated. One can say that regarding this
issue the State is conducting a highly cautious policy since in many cases national minorities
might perceive the said state policies as national discrimination, considering them dangerous
for preservation of their national customs. As a result, women and girls are disadvantaged. In
addition, there are also problems with the quality of education in rural schools of national
minorities.
As of 2019, the republic had not yet implemented the commitments undertaken by it
in the realm of general education for 2015. The reasons why children are left out of education
vary: the family’s position, social insecurity and children’s engagement in agricultural and
household work, their disability, migration, poor progress in studies and lack of motivation.
This dropout has different consequences for women and men. In case of girls, the dangers of
early marriage, not continuing their education later, and economic dependence on their
30 http://www.irtek.am/views/act.aspx?aid=151915 31 Gender Aspects of Access to Education, 2014, page 24 32 https://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=52dd05e94 33 http://www.irtek.am/views/act.aspx?aid=151508, page
22
husbands and other relatives are increasing. Because of the dropout of children, the country
loses the opportunity of fully utilizing the potential of its citizens.
Professional education
Primary vocational education. In the 2018-2019 academic year, 46 state educational
institutions implementing primary vocational (craftsmanship) program were operating in the
republic. The number of students was 6 723 with 27.1% of them being women. Ninety-nine
point two per cent of students were enrolled in the free education system, and 0.8% in the
paid system. The gross enrolment index of students was 6.7% (3.9% for women and 9.2% for
men), and gender equality index34 was 0.42.35 The low level of girls’ enrolment in primary
vocational educational institutions can be explained, on the one hand, by a not very high
rating of these institutions (usually children with poorer progress in studies get enrolled in
primary vocational institutions) and, on the other hand, by lack of professions considered
“feminine” in society. In addition, in case of younger age girls, their parents prefer that they
study at their community school rather than go to another community, even if it is for
educational purposes. There are no such obstacles in case of boys.
There are major differences between girls and boys in terms of choice of professions.
As one can see from Diagram 6 provided below, the number of girls is comparatively higher
in the areas of light industry (87%) and art and design (65%).
Diagram 6. Students of primary vocational (craftsmanship) educational institutions according to the area of
professional education and sex, 2018-2019 academic year
34 Gender equality index is the coeficient of ratio of women’s gross enrolment index to men’s gross enrolment index. 35 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_4.pdf, page 1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Light industy
Art an design
Services
Economics and management
Informatics and computing technology
Food production
Mineral extraction
Construction and household economy
Agriculture
Boys Girls
23
The number of girls is lower in all other areas: services (48%), economics and
management (38%), informatics and computing technology (37%), food production (23%),
mineral extraction (23%), construction and household economy (12%), and agriculture (6%).
There are no girls at all in the following professional areas: transportation means, reproduction
and processing of forest resources, radio-electronic equipment and telecommunications,
machine-building equipment and technology, and power engineering.36 The labor market
demand for these professions is higher.
Secondary vocational education. In the 2018-2019 academic year, at 93 state and non-state
secondary vocational institutions of the republic, the gross enrolment index of students was
11.7% (13.1% for women and 10.4% for men) and gender equality index was 1.26.37
Diagram 7. Students of secondary vocational educational institutions according to the area of professional
education and sex, 2018-2019 academic year
As one can see from Diagram 7, there is a large number of girls in the following areas:
healthcare and sport (78%), law (77%), industry and construction (65%), pedagogy (63%), art
and cinema (60%), and economics (50%). Girls have incomparably lower percentage of
enrolment in the areas of agriculture (18%) and transport and communication (9%).38 In
comparison with 2009, the number of girls increased in the area of law (it was 47.6% in 2009
and 77% in 2019) and decreased in the area of pedagogy (81.7% in 2009 dropped to 63% in
2019). Changes in all other professional areas are insignificant.
Higher education. In the 2018-2019 academic year, the republic’s 56 state and non-state
higher education institutions and twelve branches offered, at the first level of higher
36 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_4.pdf, page 12 37 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_5.pdf, page 1 38https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_5.pdf, page 14
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Healthcare and sport
Law
Industry and construction
Pedagogy
Art and cinema
Economics
Agriculture
Transport and communication
boys girls
24
education, professional education through Bachelor’s Degree programs. The gross enrolment
index of students was 52.2% ( 56.6% for women and 48.2% for men) and the gender equality
index (the coefficient of ratio of women’s gross enrolment index to men’s gross enrolment
index) was 1.17.39
In the 2028-2019 academic year, the republic’s 32 state and non-state higher education
institutions, nine branches, and four scientific organizations offered, at the second level of
higher education, professional education through Master’s Degree programs. The gross
enrolment index of students in these organizations was 14.1% (19.4% for women and 8.9% for
men) and the gender equality index (the coefficient of ratio of women’s gross enrolment index
to men’s gross enrolment index) was 2.18.40
The gross enrolment of non-poor households in higher education institutions was 39%,
of poor (excluding extremely poor) households – 26%, and of extremely poor households –
0%.41
As is the case at the preceding levels, striking are not gender differences, but social
status differences related to poverty.
There are gender differences in terms of choice of professions.
Diagram 8. The percentage of women and girls in the overall number of students at higher education
institutions according to some areas of professional education with comparison between 2008-2009 and 2018-
2019 academic years
39 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_6.pdf, page 1 40 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_6.pdf, page 22 41 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_4.pdf, page 32
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
2019 2009
25
The diagram shows that over the past ten years, the percentage of girls enrolled in the
areas of mathematical sciences, chemistry and art has increased. The difference between the
names of professional fields in statistical booklets did not allow to compare the data for all
professions. However, based on the data of the 2018-2019 academic year, it is possible to say
that girls made up the majority in the areas of philology (96%), art (88%), biology (87%),
chemistry, and journalism and information sciences (80%). The number of girls decreased in
the area of education (63%) and remained the same in the areas of healthcare (55%) and social
and behavioural sciences (55%). However, there are fewer girls in such professional areas as
mathematics and statistics (48%), business and administration (46%), humanities (43%), law
(40%), environment (29%), information and communication technologies (28%), veterinary
medicine (22%), security services (16%), industry and technology (24%), architecture and
construction (21%), engineering (6%), and agricultural sciences (0%).42
Thus, although the level of enrolment of women in the area of higher education is
higher than that of men, gender segregation according to professions still persists and, as in the
past, women are left out of highly-paid and profitable sectors.
Gender mainstreaming of professional orientation. Expansion of women’s access to technical
vocational education and training (TVET), education in the area of science and technology
and continuing education.
Proffesional orientation. Professional orientation is offered in the main school, high school,
and TVET institutions. Form-masters in schools and career centers at TVETs offer
professional orientation sessions. The support manual on Educative Work at School:
Professional Orientation Issues includes advice to form-masters, including on overcoming sex-
based stereotypes and developing motivation of girls and boys for those professions that are
not traditional for their sex. However, no evaluation of these professional orientation sessions
has been carried out and they largely depend on the beliefs of pedagogues and on the existence
of gender stereotypes among them. For this reason, professional gender mainstreaming is not
effective and segregation by professions persists.
Continuity of education. According to the 2018 data, the percentage of women in Master’s
Degree programs and post-graduate education was higher than that of men. Sixty-three point
42 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_6.pdf, page 2
26
seven per cent of those admitted to Master’s Degree programs were women and 66.2% of them
graduated. The same indicators in the area of post-graduate studies were respectively 52.4%
and 38.8%, and in the area of doctoral studies – 54.5% (both those admitted and graduates).43
Diagram 9. Distribution of women and men in the Master’s Degree programs and at postgraduate levels %
The diagram clearly shows that women dominate among those admitted to Master’s
Degree programs and post-graduate studies, however, starting from the level of post-graduate
studies men prevail in graduating from the studies. The main reason for the difference in the
number of women admitted to post-graduate studies and those who graduated from these
studies is the double workload in the family.
Diagram 10. Proportion of women and men enrolled in doctoral studies, 2008-2018, %
43 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/gender_2019.pdf, page 53
64% 66%
52%
39%
54%
36% 34%
48%
61%
46%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Master’s Degree students Master’s Degree
graduates
Post-graduate students Graduates from post-
graduate studies
Doctoral students and
graduates
women men
22%
54%
29%
54%
78%
46%
71%
46%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
2008 admissions 2018 admissions 2008 graduates 2018 graduates
women men
27
Over the recent years, the number of women admitted to and graduated from doctoral studies
has doubled. However, this does not mean at all that after graduation they defend their
doctoral dissertation. As in the past, women largely focus on “feminine” fields in science.
Gender aspects of scientific and technical work. There is a gender gap among research
specialists conducting scientific and technical work and having a scientific degree. Although
women make up 48.3% among candiates of science, in case of doctors of science, the number
drastically drops to 21.5%.44
Diagram 11. Dynamics of women with scientific degrees, 2008-201845
In Armenia, a system of continuing education is not developed at the state level. The
system of postgraduate training of cadres does not match the needs. Although envisioned,
training programs for young women returning from maternity leave are not implemented yet
to ease their return to the labor market and to expand opportunities for their competitiveness.
At present, the institution of nannies is being introduced aimed at easing women’s entry into
the labor market, however, the program is new, and the results are not manifest yet. At its
June 8, 2018 session, the RA Government endorsed the Procedure for Implementation of the
Support Program on Organization of Child Care Parallel to Work for Job-Seeking Persons on
Child Care Leave for Children unde the Age of Three in the event of their Return to Work
before the Child Turns Two Years Old. Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship
44 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/gender_2019.pdf, page 54 45 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/gender_2019.pdf
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
2008 2010 2018
candidate in science doctor in science
28
Development Support Center (SME DSC) in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) is implementing the program on Development of Women’s Enterepreneurship through
organizing training courses and mentoring programs.46 The RA Ministry of Labor and Social
Affairs has come up with a program in support of young mothers in the labor market, which
provides to women under the age of 30 and without professional education an opportunity to
participate in six-month training courses and start working.
Women’s NGOs contribute to women’s advancement more, through their continuous
programs. They periodically organize leadership schools and seminars on gender topics.
However, in the recent years, due to the change in the direction of grant programs, the number
of such activities has decreased.
Inclusion of a component targeting gender equality in programs of all educational
levels, development and introduction of textbooks and study materials free of gender
stereotypes and with subject-matter instilling intolerance towards gender-based violence.
Gender-sensitive approaches are not integrated in the general education school, which
has a major role in development of the citizen’s world outlook. Studies of the educational
content and textbooks show that they remain male-dominated and do not promote formation
of a gender-sensitive world outlook.47
Although, for the purpose of creating an educational and methodological base for
teaching the fundamentals of gender knowledge, gender equality and exclusion of sex
discrimination in society have been prioritized among the minimum requirements for social
subjects in the state standard for general education, they have not been introduced in the
school yet.
The standard, syllabus, eight-grade textbook and teacher’s manual of the subject
“Civics” of the general education school have been subjected to expert review from the
perspective of revealing and excluding materials related to gender stereotypes and gender
inequality, and recommendations have been developed and presented. To create criteria for
conduct of gender expertise of the educational literature, a group of experts have carried out
gender expertise of the main and alternative textbooks for the following subjects of the primary
school: primer, native language, mathematics, me and the environment, technology, physical
education, fine arts, and music.
46 https://smednc.am/media/2019/10/09/f1f65c5523ced8f229c7775abbb715f9e52e14f8.pdf 47 Report on Assessment of the Implementation of 2011-2015 Gender Policy Strategic Plan and 2011-2015 National Action Plan to Combat Gender-based Violence, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, 2015
29
All textbook characters from history, mythology, fairy tales and stories are exclusively
male. However, there is no improvement in this direction yet. The authors describe the
republic exclusively through portrayal of male characters, ignoring even contemporary female
characters: sports champions and others. (Me and the Environment, 4), picture 4.48 More than
94% of characters in history textbooks and 80% in the Armenian literature are male.49
The number of male characters in the high school textbook on the Armenian history
exceeds female characters by approximately 30 times. Female characters make up just 3% of
all characters.
Pictures portraying men exceed pictures portraying women by seven times. As a rule,
pictures portraying men are associated with power, strength and domination. As a result, only
the image of an active, conquering, protective, and creative man is instilled in the
consciousness of students. Perceptions are developed that women have not made any
contributions to culture. Women are mentioned only in those cases when they appear with
functions typical of the man, the defender of the homeland.
Gender courses are taught only at the State Instiute of Physical Culture, some YSU
departments and at a number of other higher education institutions through the efforts of
interested lecturers. The country has experienced regress in this area since in 2005-2006
gender courses were taught at 12 higher education institutions and 32 schools, Fundamentals
of the State Policy Conceptual Framework in the Area of Gender Education were developed,
and Draft State Standards of Gender Education were tested. To facilitate teaching, educational
and methodological manuals, as well as collections of scientific materials and research were
developed and published. The RA Ministry of Education and Science recommended Gender
and Economics and Gender and Journalism educational manuals for higher education
institutions. The methodological set on Lessons on Gender Knowledge was created for the
general education school.50
No planned and systematized work is being carried out with respect to scholarly
research on gender topics either. The thematic research list of the RA National Academy of
Sciences does not include gender research. However, the Center for Gender and Leadership
Studies continues to operate at YSU.
48 Ibidem, page 23 49 Osipov, Sargizova, 2015 50 The Process of Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, Millennium Development Goals, and the UN Coonvention on the Political Rights of Women in the Republic of Armenia, Associattion of Women with University Education, 2014, page 73 http://aawue.am/change/uploads/2014/07/PEKIN-FINAL-1.pdf
30
As a result, the educational system does not target the promotion of students’
perceptions of gender equality norms and principles and the overcoming of gender stereotypes.
Moreover, it contributes to constant reproduction of these stereotypes.
Conduct of training courses on gender sensitivity for teachers and other specialists working in
the area of education
In the republic, there is an ongoing process for training of principals and teachers of
general education schools and of principals and deputy principals of VET (Vocational
Education and Training) institutions. The National Institute of Education of the RA Ministry
of Education and Science developed a training package on the topic of Legal Equality of
Women and Men, which will serve as a basis for training programs organized for specialists in
the area of education. Topics related to gender stereotypes, equality and tolerance, and gender
policy have been included in the training programs for deputy principals, form-masters, social
pedagogues, and psychologists of general education schools. However, no study and no
evaluation of effectiveness has been carried out in that direction yet.
Providing for safe and inclusive conditions for use of information technologies by women and
girls, creation of opportunities ensuring capacity building and skills development in the digital
and other promising areas, and especially in the STEM area.
In 2015, it became clear51 that, as compared to 2003, the results shown by Armenia’s
pupils in competitions, and specifically on such subjects as mathematics and science, had
worsened and were lagging behind the international average (set at 500 points). In 2015, the
results of 21% of Armenia’s eight-grade pupils were lower than the minimum results level set
by TIMSS in 2015, whereas only 5% and 2% of pupils from respectively the Russian Federation
and Kazakhstan failed to attain that level.52 The TIMSS results demonstrate that the success of
children in all countries depends on the socio-economic status of parents and schools. This
decline in results caused concern in the country and some work unfolded in that direction.
Before that no serious concern had manifested in that direction since in international
competitions Armenian gifted children usually won medals for such subjects as mathematics,
51 The 2019 results are not published yet. 52 Social Justice in the Education System of Armenia, page5.
31
physics, chemistry, informatics, astronomy, biology, and geography.53 However, it is one
thing to have talented kids and it is another to have a high enough average school level.
On March 30, 2015, the RA Ministry of Education and Science and three major
companies representing the ICT area – Vivacell MTS, Sysnopsys Armenia, and Unicomp –
signed a memorandum of understanding, according to which, a new program was launched in
five general education high schools through introduction of the following subjects:
Information Techologies, Fundamentals of Telecommunications, and Microelectronics.54
As a result of the program on Development of Robotics and STEM Education in Schools,
as of 2019, there are 284 engineering laboratories and robotics clubs operating in all marzes of
the Republic of Armenia. The program engages 7 500 students. By the RA Government
Decree, around 835 million RA drams was allocated to the Union of Advanced Techology
Enterprises, the program implementing agency, to establish 284 more engineering
laboratories.55 Gender-sensitive approach was to be applied during the implementation stage
of the program. The program is to enhance the skills and STEM knowledge of girls and women,
as well as to ease their entry in the labor market. At present, the majority of specialists working
in the ICT area are men (63%). Currently, there are around 500 information technology
startups and companies operating in Armenia.
STEM jobs are concentrated in the following areas: information and communication
technologies, construction, mining, research institutes, and power supply. The employers of
the area, for example, Synopsis, provide partnership support to some higher education
institutions with STEM orientation and assist with research programs, easing students’ entry
into the labor market. The same is done by some mining companies.
The number of non-formal and extracurricular STEM programs is gradually increasing:
they are primarily provided by Tumo Centers for Creative Technologies in Yerevan and a
number of regional centers.56
Women’s involvement in the IT area of Armenia is considered not low, 30%, however,
it has the potential for growth if barriers existing in this area are removed. According to some
research, the factors impeding equal opportunities and output results of women and men in
the STEM area include unequal accessibility (unequal opportunities for receiving quality
53 2015 annual report by the RA Ministry of Education and Science. 54 2015 annual report by the RA Ministry of Education and Science. 55 2019 report by the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, http://escs.am/am/news/5899 56 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/512861495789491335/pdf/ACS21924-ARMENIA-PUBLIC-
ArmeniaGenderandSTEMFINALArmenian.pdf, page 44
32
education in rural areas, high tuition fees in private high schools with STEM orientation, the
quality of which is higher), information asymmetry (not a very high rating of STEM
specialization and career in Armenia), institutional shortcomings (boys admitted to the free
system of higher education get deferment from compulsory military service, and, as a result,
boys receving scholarships make up the majority of those in the STEM areas). In addition,
gender stereotypes leave their negative impact too. Vertical segregation existing in the area of
management of organizations plays a negative role too (in the STEM organizations, men
dominate in pursuit of technical and professional career, women generally occupy medium-
level positions; women earn less than men). The country pays lip service to the importance
of STEM, however, no large-scale information is disseminated on women success stories in
these areas.57 There are no state support programs, which will allow to reconcile family duties
with work in the area (flexible work schedules, support programs for young mothers working
in the area, etc.).
The majority of employees in the area of education are women and this has led to a
situation when in 2020, with introduction of a state of emergency in the context of fight
against coronavirus, the necessity of conducting training on on-line platforms in educational
institutions compelled the employees to undergo training on a short-term basis and develop
command of new teaching technologies.
Increasing women’s participation in decision-making in the area of education. In the area of
education, approximately 80% of employees are women, however, they make up a minority at
all levels of decision-making in the area. Women also make up the majority of staff at the RA
Ministry of Education and Science, however, they occupy only the low and medium-level
sections of the gender pyramid.
Diagram 12. Staff of the Ministry of Education and Science, 2009-2019
57 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/512861495789491335/pdf/ACS21924-ARMENIA-PUBLIC-
ArmeniaGenderandSTEMFINALArmenian.pdf, page 41
66%72%
34%28%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
2009 2019
women men
33
There is an improvement of the situation in 2020. Thus, within the RA Minsitry of
Education, Science, Culture, and Sport, two of the five deputies of the Minister in the area of
education are women. Deputy Head of the Department for Higher and Postgraduate
Professional Education and heads of two divisions are women. One of the two division heads
of the Department for Primary (Craftsmanship) and Secondary Vocational Education is a
woman, and Deputy Head of the Department for General Education and heads of its two
divisions are women.
The diagrams presented below show the proportion of women and men among Rectors
and Vice Rectors, Deans and Heads of Chairs at state higher education institutions (in absolute
numbers)58
Diagram 13. The gender composition of Rectors and Vice Rectors for Education and Science at state higher
education institutions
Diagram 14. The gender composition of Deans at state higher education institutions
Diagram 15. The gender composition of Heads of Chairs at state higher education institutions
58 The data are provided according to the statistical materials in https://www.armstat.am/file/article/gender_10.pdf,
https://www.armstat.am/file/article/kanajq_ev_txamardik.pdf, https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_vich_2018_6.pdf
134171
200
503 484454
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2009 2014 2018
women
men
134171
200
503 484454
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2009 2014 2018
women
men
34
At state higher education institutions, men dominate at the decision-making level. At non-
state higher education institutions, the picture is a little bit different: there are more women
at the decision-making level. However, this is explained by the fact that at these higher
education institutions spheres of influence are more limited, and the salaries are lower.
Thus, although the prevailing majority of employees in the area of education are women,
decisions are primarily made by male officials.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The RA legislation and legal documents provide for prohibition of sex-based
discrimination, mandatory free secondary education irrespective of sex, vocational and
higher education on a competitive basis, and the right to post-graduate education on
a competitive basis. Gender discrimination is de jure absent.
2. Although at the legislative level discrimination is absent in the area of education, there
is latent gender discrimination, which is conditioned by gender stereotypes,
traditional roles of women and men in the family and society, the socio-economic and
health status of persons or families, and national minority affiliation.
3. No gender mainstreaming is done of programs adopted in the area of education and
they are often gender-blind, which adversely affects the development of the field. The
absence of a state gender strategy for 2015-2018 has had its negative consequences.
134171
200
503484
454
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2009 2014 2018
women
men
35
4. Children’s enrolment in preschool institutions is very low (31.6%) with 36.5% in
towns and 22.6% in villages. As of 2020, more than 171 thousand children or 70% of
children do not attend kindergartens in Armenia. The differences according to sex are
not major (girls’ enrolment is 33.6%) and, as a rule, they correspond to the proportion
in respective age groups. However, there are major differences by marzes, by the
urban-rural breakdown and from the perspective of the social status of the family.
Women are greatly disadvantaged due to the lack of preschool institutions.
5. It is a positive development that after 2015 secondary education became mandatory.
However, by 2019, the republic had not yet implemented the commitments it made
in the area of education for 2015 and there are children left out of schooling at all
levels, and especially at higher grades. The reasons for dropout of chidlren from
educational institutions vary : the family’s position on the issue, social insecurity and
children’s engagement in the labor market (especially taking into consideration the
fact that due to low quality of education, parents do not hope that educational expenses
will be compensated in the future), disability, migration, poor progress in studies and
absence of motivation. Being left out of secondary education has different
consequences for women and men. In case of girls, the dangers of early marriage, not
continuing education later, and economic dependence on husbands or other relatives
are increasing. Due to the dropout of children, the country loses the opportunity of
fully utilizing the potential of its citizens.
6. The number of girls in the area of primary and secondary vocational education is lower
than that of boys. This is explained by a number of factors : girls with higher progress
in studies prefer to continue their education at higher education institutions since the
rating of the higher education diploma is higher; the concentration of primary and
secondary vocational institutions in towns, i.e. in order to study at these institutions,
girl children have to leave their residency areas every day, and that is not encouraged
by their parents; for girls, chances to get jobs are higher in case of higher education,
even if for a given job no higher education qualifications are necessary. Not full
introduction of the system of credits in the area of vocational education hinders the
possibilities for ensuring the continuity of education.
7. Although women’s enrolment in the area of higher education is higher than that of
men, gender segregation according to professions persists and, as in the past, women
dominate in ‘feminine’ professions, which decreases the possibilities for receiving
higher salaries and income in the future.
36
8. No system of continuing education is introduced in Armenia at the state level. The
system of post-graduate training of cadres does not correspond to women’s needs.
Although it is envisioned, no training programs for young women returning from
maternity leave are implemented yet to ease their return to the labor market and to
expand the opportunities for their competativeness.
9. The system of education is not aimed at the promotion of students’ perceptions of
gender equality norms and principles and the overcoming of gender stereotypes.
Moreover, it contributes to constant reproduction of these stereotypes. The textbooks
and other educational materials reinforce students’ perceptions of the image of an
active, strong, conquering, heights attaining, high-achiever man and of the image of a
woman that performs housework, is a caring wife and mother, and has no role in
public life and history.
10. No gender courses are offered at secondary schools and primary and secondary
vocational institutions, they are only available at a very small number of higher
education institutions.
11. From the perspective of professional orientation and growth, there is a clear-cut
horizontal and vertical segregation, which is the result of the weakness of professional
orientation and of the ineffectiveness of introduction of a gender component in it.
12. The STEM area has a special place at the global market. However, Armenia’s showing
in this area is very low. In this area, there is a major difference between equal
opportunities and output results of women and men. The impeding factors include
unequal accessibility of schools in the STEM area, and, in particular, the weaknesses
of teaching in rural schools, non-satisfactory advocacy of the demand in STEM
professions, and institutional shortcomings (boys, when admitted to free education,
get deferment from compulsory military servie and, as a result, boys receiving
scholarhsips make up the majority in the STEM areas). Gender stereotypes leave a
negative impact too. Vertical segregation existing in the area of management of
organizations also plays a negative role.
13. A gender component has been introduced in the training programs for teachers, form-
masters, and principals of schools and VET institutions. However, it was not reviewed
by gender experts and is formal by nature and, for this reason, its effectiveness has
been very low.
14. Due to women’s double workload, gender stereotypes, and the glass ceiling
phenomenon, the opportunities for women’s professional advancement, professional
37
and technical training, and continuity of education are more limited and it is not
possible to solve these problems without special programs.
15. The model of decision-making in the area of education is the typical gender pyramid
model when the majority of employees are women, but chief decision-making
positions are held by men.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
1. To engage gender experts in the implementation of the monitoring of the 2019-2023
gender policy strategy in the Republic of Armenia;
2. It is necessary to include a gender component into the subject-matter of scientific
research funded by the state and to provide for budgetary funding for implementation
of gender research at the Institutes of Humanities of the RA National Academy of
Sciences;
3. Since the National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance will
continually be carrying out accreditation of colleges and higher education institutions
in the republic and it is envisioned to review criteria and standards for institutional
accreditation, it is necessary to add a gender standard to the accreditation criteria
(Professional educational programs - the third one, Students - the fourth one, and
Research and Development - the sixth one), which will help incorporation of a gender
component in the professional educational programs of higher education institutions;
4. It is possible to provide for delegation of some activities within the framework of social
partnership with non-governmental organizations, which will allow to coordinate
educational activities in the non-formal sector, making them more targeted;
5. Newly-developed educational criteria, standards, educational and methodological sets,
and draft textbooks should undego gender mainstreaming. The existing ones need to
be subjected to gender expertise. Since it is costly to change the textbooks, it is possible
to create “gender-sensitive” supplements in the form of small booklets;
6. Professional orientation programs should be gender-sensitive. For this purpose, all
those responsible for this area should be trained with gender modules. In orientation
programs, it is necessary to envision for girls presentation of strengths of professions
not traditional for their sex, especially of STEM professions, and development of
motivation;
38
7. To provide for gender expertise of training programs for principals, deputy principals,
and teachers of general education schools and VET institutions and to engage gender
experts in training with gender modules;
8. To enhance the level of accountability of all structures in the area of general education
for dropout children and their reasons for not continuing education, showing
consistent caring for the future of these children;
9. To initiate broad-based discussions in society on benefits of education and career in the
STEM areas, to encourage girls to develop a profound interest in mathematics and
science, and to present to schoolgirls positive role models of women working in STEM
jobs;
10. To invite the attention of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport
and of marz- and community-level structures to programs on distance learning,
electronic and blended learning and, through their combination, to solve the problem
of ensuring quality education for children of all rural communities that do not have
schools and teachers ;
11. To carry out more coordinated work for education of girls among national minorities ;
12. To accelerate the spreading of the new model of creation of preschool institutions;
13. To make more precise the statistics on the dropouts from schools and to conduct special
research on access to education in Armenia ;
14. To maintain clear-cut and understandable statistics on the STEM area.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
• To demand and carry out gender mainstreaming of the laws regulating the area of
education: laws on Education, on General Education, on Technical Vocational
Education and Training, and on Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education,
adding also the prohibition of sex-based discrimination and a definition of
discrimination.
• To demand and carry out gender mainstreaming of all laws and sublegislative acts
related to the area of education.
• To demand systematization and provision of sex-disaggregated statistics related to the
area of education during law and annual budget discussions.
39
PART 2.
CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN:
WOMEN AND ARMED CONFLICT
40
The following are the strategic objectives set in the secion on Women and Armed Conflict in
the Beijing Platform for Action:
1. Increase the participation of women in conflict resolution at decision-making levels
and protect women living in situations of armed and other conflicts or under foreign
occupation;
2. Reduce excessive military expenditures and control the availability of armaments;
3. Promote non-violent forms of conflict resolution and reduce the incidence of human
rights abuse in conflict situations;
4. Promote women’s contribution to fostering a culture of peace;
5. Provide protection, assistance and training to refugee women, other displaced women
in need of international protection and internally displaced women;
6. Provide assistance to the women of the colonies and non-self-governing territories.
Below presented is a general assessment of the state policy achievements and systemic
problems in ensuring women’s rights and equal opportunities in prevention and resolution of
armed conflicts, based on the Armenian realities over the past five years. Presented are also
recommendations aimed at increasing the effectiveness of actions by the Government and
legislature.
ACHIEVEMENTS
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
41
ACHIEVEMENTS
During the past five years, and particularly in years 2018-2020, after the democratic changes
took place in Armenia, National Government acknowledged Women, Peace and Security
(WPS) issue as a priority in its Gender Equality agenda.
As a significant achievement in this field could be mentioned the elaboration and adoption
of the 1st National Action Plan for the implementation of the provisions of the UN SC
Substantiation Brief
On the Necessity of Adopting the RA Government’s Draft Decision on the 2019-20121 National Action Plan for Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and the Timetable for
Its Implementation
The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security focuses on the impact of armed conflicts on women and engagement of women in the process of armed conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding.
The National Action Plan on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security was developed in line with Point 76 of Appendix #1 of the Decision N 483-N of May 4, 2017 by the RA Government, based on the 2017-2019 National Strategy of the Republic of Armenia on Human Rights Protection.
In November of 2016, Armenia received a recommendation from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which specifically calls to “finalize and adopt the National Action Plan to implement Security Council Resolution No. 1325 (2000), in cooperation with women’s organizations.” Taking into consideration the Nagorno Karabagh conflict, including the situation of women in Armenia’s borderline areas affected by the conflict, the adoption of such a Plan will allow Armenia to pay greater attention to the needs of vulnerable groups residing in those areas.
The exisrtence of an action plan will not only help coordinate activities carried out in this area before , but will also provide an opportunity to secure financial assistance both from different countries and the special fund created for UN 1325.
The above noted Plan will enhance the weight of Armenia in the international arena as a country struggling to strengthen women’s role and peace.
42
Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security59 (February 28, 2019 Decree N197-L of the
Government of Armenia).
In order to develop a National Action Plan (NAP), an interagency commission has been
established by the N1014-A Decree of the Prime Minister (September 13, 2017). The
commission has been comprised of representatives of all line ministries and agencies. Thus,
Armenia became the 80th UN Member State to adopt NAP.
Armenia’s NAP takes into account the situation on the ground with a view to accelerating
political participation and economic empowerment of women in the context of peacebuilding,
conflict prevention and conflict resolution, as well as underlines the importance of
engagement of women in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions and rehabilitation
activities in the post-conflict period. Particular focus has been given to vulnerable population
groups, including women residing in borderline communities, women directly affected by
conflict, women displaced or under risk of displacement, etc.
This important document heavily focuses on increasing women’s participation in and
awareness of the protection of women’s rights within the defense system (military, police, and
peacekeeping missions). The NAP also puts particular emphasis on creating comprehensive
programs to address the special needs of women and girls impacted by or displaced as a result
of the armed conflict. The NAP includes components on the international implementation of
the WPS agenda, especially in light of the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
At the same time, the document specifically states that Armenia considers the NAP “as a
national machinery for the protection and promotion of women’s rights in public life”. In fact,
the Implementation of the resolution 1325 in the overall context allows once again focusing
on the important link between the empowerment of women and sustainability of peace and
development. These priorities square firmly in achieving Sustainable Development Goals # 5
59 http://peacewomen.org/countries_and_regions/393
43
and #16, where the commitments related to women, peace and security aim at increasing their
participation in public life, at local, national and regional levels.
Armenia’s NAP on 1325 is based on four major pillars: prevention, protection, participation,
relief and recovery and includes 18 specific objectives and a monitoring component.
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION
The coordination of the
development/implementation of the National
Action Plan has been assigned to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. In
order to develop a National Action Plan on
implementation of UNSC Resolution #1325, an
interagency commission was established
(Decision N 1014-A of the Prime Minister dates
13th, September 2017), which consists of
representatives of: Prime Minister’s Office,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense,
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor and Social
Affairs, Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, Ministry of Emergency
Situations, Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, Police, National
Institute of Education of the Ministry of Education and Science, Migration Service of the
Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, and Armenian Red Cross Society.
As one can see from the list, only Armenian Red Cross Society out of the 12 relevant bodies
involved in the process of developing the NAP is a civil society organization. It is seen as a
certain omission, taking into account the significant role and contribution of NGOs in
promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Armenia, before and after the adoption
of NAP.
The same observation applies to several points on implementation of the National Action Plan:
civil society organizations are mentioned as co-executors “upon consent” only for the half of
the objectives. For example, NGOs are not included among others as co-executors of objective
44
#2 “Promote cooperation between governmental bodies, women’s organizations and women
affected by conflict, in the field of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding”,
which, from our point of view, is not quite the right approach to the implementation of such
specific objective.
In other words, the underrepresentation of civil society structures in the implementation of
the NAP and the non-use of their extensive experience and expertise in this direction, in our
opinion, may reduce the effectiveness of the planned actions for its successful implementation.
Another remark on the Plan relates to “performance indicators” that in some cases are not
clear, difficult to measure and do not take into account the medium-term and long-term
impact. It would also be desirable to have a more comprehensive and detailed monitoring part
of the Plan as well.
However, the biggest concern for the successful implementation of the National Action Plan
is the lack of funding from the state budget: NAP does not contain an allocated or estimated
budget. It is clear that without attracting serious financial resources it is difficult to expect high
effectiveness of actions and achievement of significant outputs.
It should be emphasized here that all remarks and comments noted above in no way diminish
the importance and significance of the National Action Plan, the adoption of which was de
facto the result of the joint efforts of state bodies, non-governmental women's and human
rights organizations and civil peace activists with essential support from international
organizations such as UN, EU, OSCE and other structures.
At the same time, the issue of Women, Peace and Security should not be limited only by the
adoption and subsequent implementation of the National Action Plan on UNSC Res. # 1325.
In our opinion, it is important to integrate commitments regarding WPS issue into key national
and inter-ministerial policies and to reflect in relevant documents, planning and monitoring
frameworks. However, this important issue did not find a place even in the recently adopted
45
Strategy for Implementation of Gender Policy and Action Plan in the Republic of Armenia for
2019-202360, nor in National Security Strategy of the Republic of Armenia61, adopted in year
2007 - although we hope that in the new version of this strategy, which is currently under
development, these issues will be included in the national security priorities as it was
recommended by a number of NGOs.
Women’s leadership, representation, and participation
During the past five years and especially after “Velvet Revolution” (April-May, 2018) the role
of women in all stages of the conflict circle, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and engagement in
other humanitarian missions as well as rehabilitation activities in the post-conflict period was
enhanced. The adoption of the National Action Plan allows Armenia, in relation to the
provisions of Resolution 1325, to address a number of issues of special importance for the
country. Those issues include: focusing on economic and social development of women
residing in borderline communities; ensuring a special protection of displaced women and
girls; promoting women’s engagement in peacekeeping missions; protecting women’s rights
and increasing their political participation, etc.
It should be emphasized that Armenia’s NAP includes also components on the international
implementation of the WPS agenda, which is especially important in light of the ongoing
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Although the negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk
Group gives some optimism regarding the non-violent peaceful resolution of this conflict,
today, unfortunately, Armenia faces an increasing risk of renewed hostilities, the outcome of
which might be a failure of mediation efforts and escalating militarization. In April 2016, the
conflict erupted again, resulting in casualties on both sides, and ended with a ceasefire after
four days of tough military confrontation.
60http://www.irtek.am/views/act.aspx?aid=151906strategy 61 https://www.mfa.am/filemanager/Statics/Doctrineeng.pdfsecurity
46
This escalation as well as the NK conflict in general has had distinct gendered impacts,
affecting women’s lives in the public and private realm alike. In this regard, the efforts
undertaken by the Government of Armenia for the promotion of WPS Agenda look as fully
justified and timely and meet the existing challenges.
Here it should be noted that official negotiations on the NK conflict are held between
Prime Minister of Armenia (before 2018 - President of RA) and President of Azerbaijan and
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries with participation of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group. On the official level, negotiators are mostly men; the representation of women
in peace processes in general has been at the level of technical experts and observers. High-
level diplomatic negotiations process itself includes a very limited number of people, and
provides no space for women. At the same time, women’s NGOs and women civil peace
advocates have been at the forefront to demand an end to hostilities and establishment of
peace, being involved in meetings and discussions on fostering conflict regulation, but more
on a non-formal level.
In this context, Armenia attaches special importance to ensuring women’s meaningful
participation in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding as well as to
promoting women’s rights and protecting them from violence.
To fulfill these and other obligations arising from the adopted NAP, over the past two years
state agencies and local NGOs with support from some International organizations have taken
a number of specific steps at the national and local level, in particular:
Ministry of Defense
A number of initiatives aimed at promotion of women’s participation in decision making in
policy development such as the Guidelines and Action Plan for ensuring the protection of
women’s rights and equal opportunities in the defense system were implemented. These
Guidelines underline the importance of creating opportunities for women’s engagement and
meaningful participation in the defense system as one of the precondition for modernization
of the RA defense system.
47
A number of meetings and discussions were organized with participation of various groups of
society, targeting the promotion of women’s equal participation in decision making and
highlighting the important role of female military servants in the defense system, as well as a
number of studies were carried out on ensuring women’s rights protection and equal
opportunities in the RA armed forces.
Also were carried out some important activities targeting women’s engagement in various
units of the armed forces (including units participating in peacekeeping missions). For
example, in year 2017 a women’s unit was formed in the framework of the peacekeeping
brigade of the Ministry of Defense. The first group of the female peacekeepers was engaged in
the Armenian group that implemented the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo in 2018 (Kosovo
forces).
The Ministry implemented several capacity building and awareness raising activities for the
personnel engaged in peacekeeping missions of the RA armed forces on women’s rights,
impacts of armed conflicts on women, women’s engagement in prevention, regulation of
armed conflicts and peacebuilding.
A special training course on women’s leadership and social and psychological adaptation was
provided to female graduates of military education institutions; needs assessment of female
military servants, as well as identification of types of gender-based discrimination was carried
out.
Police
As a result of the policy adopted by the RA Police, the number of females serving in different
police subdivisions as well as holding senior positions is constantly increasing. Thus, currently
19 female employees hold the leading positions within the RA Police: 1 of them is Deputy
Minister, 1 is Department Head, 1 is Deputy Head of the General Department, 4 are
Department Deputy Heads, 8 are Division Heads, 1 is Head of a Chair, 3 are associate
48
professors. Sixty-five women hold senior group positions. According to the police services,
the picture is as follows: traffic police - 7, public order - 185, juvenile affairs and violence
prevention in the family - 77, operative - 36, state protection - 94, police - 77 females.
The number of female students in the Police Educational Complex has increased: the number
of female students admitted to the educational complex in the 2018-2019 academic year was
62, and in the 2019-2020 academic year - 64.
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
In May-June of 2019, 10 regional visits were initiated, which included the more vulnerable
borderline regions. Within the framework of the regional visits, the issues of women were
mapped, the scope of issues of concern to women living in the regions, especially in the
borderline communities, was identified, and the programs and events implemented by the
Ministry were presented.
The mapped problems were summarized and presented during the conference held on, July16,
2019 in Yerevan. Participating in the conference were state structures, civil society and
international organizations interested in the identified sectorial issues. Later, the issues raised
within the framework of the work process were discussed with the relevant responsible
agencies.
It is also planned to carry out a needs assessment of women living in borderline communities
in order to have the socio-economic characteristics of the conflict. In this regard, the RA MFA
developed the initial concept paper of this needs assessment, for the implementation of which
preliminary agreements have already been reached with the Embassy of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Armenia to secure appropriate financial assistance.
On December 4, 2019 the Women Aiming for Peace: Opportunities and Challenges
International Conference was held in Yerevan in order to share experience and lessons learned
in the field of Women, Peace and Security and to find common ground for more effective
49
cooperation among state agencies, local and international non-governmental organizations in
conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Armenian Prime Minister’s wife Mrs. Anna
Hakobyan attended the Conference presenting her Women for Peace initiative, followed by a
moderated discussion.
NGOs
The seventh International Conference Women at Peace Table – More Justice for All was held
by Democracy Today in July 2019. The conference was attended by women peace builders and
human rights activists from different countries, representatives of foreign embassies accredited
in Armenia and civil society representatives. Actions necessary to ensure women's access to
justice were discussed, and possible mechanisms for women's participation in the negotiation
process were studied.
In 2018, the Training Module on Development of the Action Plan on Women, Peace and
Security Agenda aiming to contribute to the creation and implementation of the National
Action Plan on the UNSC Resolution 1325 in Armenia in was elaborated by Society Without
Violence in partnership with Global Network of Women Peace builders. This training
module, which includes comprehensive theoretical and practical information as well as further
references, is designed for trainers who wish to contribute to the effective implementation of
the UNSCR 1325 and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Armenia.
In 2019, Civil Society – National Assembly Cooperation Platform was initiated to promote
equal rights and opportunities for women and men. The Platform has already held several
discussions about the most urgent issues such as gender equality. The latter contributes to the
formation of the political agenda.
The Dialogue for Peace and Development: Women’s View Project was implemented in 2018-
2019 by Armenian Committee of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly in cooperation with NK-based
Center for Civic Initiatives. The project contributed to boosting civic peacebuilding initiatives
50
in conflict-affected borderline communities of Nagorno Karabakh (NK) and the south of
Armenia through motivating and involving local young women to become peace advocates,
and promoting cooperation and synergy between project stakeholders and other interested
NGOs from Armenia and NKR.
In addition to the above mentioned examples of NGO actions in this direction, we should also
note their involvement in and essential contribution to regional and global peacebuilding
programs initiated by international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations
such as UN Women, OSCE, EU, Global Partnership for Prevention of Armed Conflicts
(GPPAC), Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
etc. Thus, a number of women's and human rights organizations in Armenia, successfully
cooperating with partners, have implemented a number of important joint initiatives aimed at
the civic dialogue through dividing lines, trust building and prevention of conflict’s escalation,
thereby contributing to the promotion of Women, Peace and Security Agenda not only in the
South Caucasus region and beyond, but also at national and local levels.
Judicial and non-judicial accountability in the conditions of international humanitarian law
violations and in situations of armed and other conflicts
The legislation of Armenia does not provide for a special mechanism for responding to
violations of the human rights of women and girls in armed and other conflicts. These
situations are regulated within the framework of general laws and by-laws in this area.
However, over the past two years, in fulfillment of the obligations arising from goals #8
(Ensure protection of women and girls from violence during conflicts) and #9 (Protection of
the rights of women and girls affected by the Nagarno-Karabakh conflict) of the National Plan
of Action state agencies have carried out a number of activities in this direction, some of which
are listed below:
Police
At the initiative of the RA Police Criminal Investigation Department and within the
framework of cooperation with international and local non-governmental organizations,
51
training courses for police officers were organized in February 2019. The courses were focused
on gender-based violence and discrimination against women.
Ministry of Emergency Situations
According to the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Armenia of January 22, 2015
On establishing the procedure and program for training the population and the state and local
self-government bodies and organizations in the spheres of population protection and civil
defense in emergency situations, in 2019 , in cooperation with local authorities, the Ministry
organized workshops consisting of special tactical exercises and lectures for civil defense
officers, which will continue. During the training particular attention was paid to the
protection of women and girls during conflicts.
In 2020, research will be conducted on the technical, safety and regulatory requirements of
defense structures, as well as on the provision of shelters for residents of borderline
communities, kindergartens and schools in the Republic of Armenia and on the establishment
of new shelters.
Ministry of Justice
Ministry has proposed to the Academy of Justice of Armenia to include women, peace and
security issue in the subject courses of the year 2020 for training of judges, investigators,
prosecutors, candidates for judges, civil servants, state employees of the Investigative
Committee, state employees and judicial bailiffs. Taking into account the offer, the training
program includes courses such as: Current issues on equality and non-discrimination, Features
of the Criminal Procedure and Examination of Torture, Current issues of international human
rights law, Prevention and control of violence against women and domestic violence in
Armenia, Examination of gender-based violence
In the context of the topic discussed in this subsection, namely accountability for violations of
international humanitarian law and violations of the human rights of women and girls in
52
situations of armed and other conflicts, it is impossible to ignore the actions of Azerbaijan
against civilians, causing serious concern, in particular incidents of torture of women and
elderly during the escalation of the conflict in April 2016 and targeted shootings at the
borderline villages. It should be noted that the state bodies of Armenia informed the relevant
organizations, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Council of Europe
Commissioner for Human Rights, about these cases.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summing up the review, we can conclude that over the past five years, Armenia has made
significant efforts to promote the Peace, Women and Security Agenda and fulfill its
international obligations in this area.
Below are some recommendations for accelerating implementation and improving the
effectiveness of actions in this direction:
• To integrate a gender perspective in the prevention of escalation and transformation of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict;
• To support inclusive and gender-sensitive conflict analysis, early warning and
prevention mechanisms;
• To encourage women’s meaningful participation in peace processes, including official
and non-official negotiations;
• To incorporate the women, peace and security issue into state policy and programs,
particularly to include WPS as a priority area into the new edition of the National
Security Strategy;
• To develop communication strategies to increase awareness of the Women, Peace and
Security agenda;
• To initiate an entry-point baseline survey among women directly affected by the
conflict aimed to identify specific areas of intervention;
53
• To conduct a comprehensive and multifaceted needs analysis of the most vulnerable
groups of women (residents of borderline communities, young women, refugees, rural
women, etc.), in order to best meet their needs;
• To improve the level of cooperation and partnership between relevant state bodies and
civil society organizations, particularly in terms of implementation of NAP on UN SC
resolution #1325;
• To seek opportunities for budgetary allocations for promotion of the women, peace and
security agenda and especially the implementation of NAP on UN SC resolution #1325;
• To develop an inclusive and transparent process for NAP’s monitoring and evaluation,
including indicators, timetable and responsibility sharing.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
• Within the framework of the National Assembly-Civil Society Cooperation Platform
created in 2019, to pay special attention to the women, peace and security agenda,
which has a special significance given the unsettled Karabagh conflict;
• It is necessary to make a broader use of parliamentary diplomacy, including the
international tribune of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, to promote the women, peace and security issue
from the perspective of resolution of the Karabagh conflict and to demonstrate
Armenia’s efforts in this direction, including the adoption and implementation of the
National Action Plan on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
***
54
PART 3.
CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN:
WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY
55
The strategic objectives set in the Beijing Platform for Action for the critical area of
concern on Women and the Economy are as follows:
1. Promote women’s economic rights and independence, including access to employment,
appropriate working conditions and control over economic resources;
2. Facilitate women’s equal access to resources, employment, markets and trade;
3. Provide business services, training and access to markets, information and technology,
particularly to low-income women;
4. Strengthen women’s economic capacity and commercial networks;
5. Eliminate occupational segregation and all forms of employment discrimination;
6. Promote harmonization of work and family responsibilities for women and men.
Below presented is a general assessment of the state policy achievements and systemic
problems in ensuring women’s economic rights and equal opportunities over the past five
years. Presented are also recommendations aimed at increasing the effectiveness of actions by
the Government and legislature.
ACHIEVEMENTS
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
56
ACHIEVEMENTS
Over the noted period, the most important achievement is the securing women’s equal
economic opportunities in the RA Constitution. The RA Constitution in effect contains a
number of very important provisions on promotion of de facto equality between women and
men. These provisions are:
• Article 29. Prohibition of Discrimination Discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, skin color, ethnic or social origin, genetic characteristics,
language, religion, world outlook, political or other views, belonging to an ethnic minority, property
status, birth, disability, age or other circumstances of personal or social nature is prohibited.
• Article 30. Equality of Women and Men Women and men are legally equal.
• Article 86. The Main Objectives of the State Policies The main objectives of the state policies in the economic, social, and cultural areas are:
2) Promotion of the population’s employment and improvement of working conditions. 4) Promotion of de facto equality between women and men. • Article 87. Implementation of the Main Objectives of the State Policies 1. State and local self-government bodies are, within the scope of their jurisdiction and possibilities,
obliged to implement the objectives defined by Article 86 of the Constitution.
2. Within the scope of the report envisioned by Article 156 of the Constitution, the Government shall
provide information on the implementation of the objectives defined by Article 86 of the Constitution.
By changes to the RA Law on Employment62 adopted in December of 2017, the RA
Government took the first step towards creating opportunities for women for reconciliation of
work and family responsibilities. The RA Law on Adoption of Changes and Additions to the
above law secures the right of young mothers on child care leave for children under the age of
three to receive support for organizing child care parallel to work in the event of their return
to work before the child turns two years old. Thus, in 2018, the program on provision of
support to persons on child care leave for children under the age of three was introduced and
implemented and, according to that program, the state was to provide assistance with
organization of child care to mothers in the event of their return to work before the child
turned two years old. In other words, a state approach is adopted towards nannies and
specialists employed in the shadow economy up to date are being brought out into the legal
62 https://www.arlis.am/documentview.aspx?docid=87734
57
field. The program was experimental and 300 women had the opportunity to benefit from it
in 2018. The number of beneficiaries for this year is 500.63
The RA Law on Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men
also contains some provisions on elimination of discrimination against women in the labor
market. The law has incorporated, to the maximum extent, a number of requirements
stipulated by the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women. The law, specifically, secures the concept of “gender discrimination,” regulates the
provision of equal rights and equal opportunities for women and men in the areas of politics,
public administration, work and employment, entrepreneurial activities, healthcare, and
education, provides for the opportunity and procedure for protection of citizens from sex-
based discriminatory manifestations, and envisions liability for discriminatory practices.
In 2019, an article on Prohibition of Discrimination was added to the RA Labor Code:
“3.1. Prohibition of Discrimination
1. The labor legislation prohibits discrimination.
2. Discrimination is any direct or indirect differentiation, exclusion or restriction on the grounds of
sex, race, skin color, ethnic or social origin, genetic characteristics, language, religion, world outlook,
political or other views, belonging to an ethnic minority, property status, birth, disability, age or other
circumstances of personal or social nature, the purpose and result of which, in cases of origination and
(or) change and (or) termination of collective and (or) individual labor relations, is manifestation of
less favorable attitude or impediment to or denial of recognition and (or) exercise of any right, as
defined by labor legislation, on equal footing with others, with the exception of those cases when such
differentiation, exclusion or restriction are objectively justified by the pursuit of a lawful objective and
measures used to achieve that objective are commensurate and necessary.
3. In job announcements (competitions) and during realization of labor relations, it is prohibited to
define any condition serving as a basis for discrimination other than businesslike qualities, professional
preparedness and qualifications, with the exception of the cases when those conditions derive from
work’s inherent requirements.”
In addition, Article 10 of the RA Draft Law on Ensuring Legal Equality developed by
the RA Ministry of Justice provides legal regulations prohibiting discrimination in
employment relations, according to which, in labor relations, it is prohibited to make, without
63 Source: Republic of Armenia Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Beijing+25 , Government report, 2019.https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/Gender/Beijing_20/Armenia.pdf
58
objective bases, any differentiation, exclusion, restriction or showing of preference, which
violate legal equality in labor relations and the person is deprived of equal rights and
opportunities in comparison with others.64
Since 201465 the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has been implementing a
number of programs in the employment area, which are aimed at supporting employment of
job seekers. Within the framework of annual state programs on employment regulation, a
number of state programs and subprograms are implemented, which target to provide
employment to women and to engage them in the labor market. In 2014-2019, more than 20
000 women became beneficiaries of these programs.
Since 2016, based on the Decree on the Procedure for Assignment and Payment of
Maternity Allowance to Non-Working Persons, the non-working and self-employed women
have been receiving maternity allowance. The non-working and self-employed women’s
maternity allowance is provided for 140 days of pregnancy and childbirth leave defined by the
RA Labor Code for working mothers.
Ar present, changes are being made to the RA Labor Code, which envision to ehance
the opportunities for reconciliation of work and the family, as well as to expand the tools of
state policies aimed at recognition of the household work and non-paid care provision.
In Armenia, international organizations and the RA civil society organizations are
also carrying out work aimed at expansion of women’s economic opportunities. This work
includes the following programs by OxYGen Foundation :
a) With support from the EU, the organization implemented Inspired+ Armenia program,
which targeted women’s labor rights, and developed a roadmap for their improvement ;
b) With support from Visegrad Foundation, it studied the best international practices for
ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities of women in the labor market. Based on
these studies, recommendations on improvement of the policies in this area were
developed for Armenia too, taking into consideration the local context ;
c) With support from the Government of Sweden, the organization initiated participatory
discussions on women’s problems existing in the country and developed Women’s
64 Ibidem 65 According to the RA Government’s Decree N 534-N of April 17, 2014.
59
Agenda, which summarizes national priorities for gender policy improvement. It also
launched a public advocacy campaign Equal on women’s economic rights at the
national level, targeting not only the voicing of problems, but also improvement of
policies ;
d) With support from Austrian Development Agency, it worked to promote economic
empowerment of women employed in the area of agriculture, which resulted in
formation of women’s self-governing agricultural cooperatives in communities. They
were provided with greenhouses and community-based production units were
constructed for processing of agricultural produce.
The World Bank and Asian Development Bank have conducted a number of
researches on the excercise of women’s economic rights in Armenia.
The objective of the project on Women’s Economic Empowerment in South Caucasus66
by UN Development Porgramme and UN Women lauched in 2019 is to ensure that women,
particularly the poor and socially excluded, in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are
economically empowered and participate in relevant decision-making.
PROBLEMS: CURRENT SITUATION
In spite of a high educational level of women in Armenia, their contribution to the
country’s economic development is significantly lower than their actual potential. In practice,
women almost have no influence on decision-making related to economic development and,
generally, are engaged in management and development processes to insufficient extent. Such
a situation can be described as an ineffective use of human resources and it directly impacts
the development processes in and competitiveness of the country.
The direct connection between gender imbalances and the country’s competitiveness
is revealed by Gender Gap Index,67 which is cancultated by World Economic Forum in the
following four pivotal areas: economic participation and opportunities, politics, education and
healthcare, reflecting the diference existing between women’s and men’s opportunities in each
66 The project is being implemented in the three countries of South Caucasus with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Austrian Development Agency. 67 Gender Gap Index
60
of the noted areas. In 2020, Armenia ranks 98th among 153 countries of the world by Gender
Gap Index.68
Source Index Score Place
2019 Human Development
Report69
Human Development Index 0.760 81/188
Gender Inequality Index 0.259
2020 Global Gender Gap
Report
Gender Gap Index 0.684 98/153
Economic opportunity and participation 0.673 78/153
Social Watch Report 201970 Gender Equity Index
0.259 57/162
Human Capital Report,
World Economic Forum
2017
Human Capital Index 49/130 countries
In the economic activity area, by gender imbalance indices (the ratio of men’s and women’s
employment level, equal remuneration for equal work, the share of men and women among
specialists and technical staff), Armenia worsened its positions in 2019, occupying the 78th
horizontal as compared to the 69th horizontal in 2016 and the 24th horizontal in pre-crisis 2007.
In the structure of this index, especially great is the gender gap in the employment (84th
horizontal) areas of Labor force participation and Estimated earned income (PPP US$) (97th
horizontal).
The problems in the labor market of Armenia can be clearly seen when looking at the
2017 Human Capital Index. According to the 2017 report (The Global Human Capital Index)
by World Economic Forum,71 Armenia ranks 49th among 130 countries of the world,
developing 64% of its human capital. The index is defined by four aspects: availability of
68 http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf 69 http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/2019-human-development-index-ranking 70 https://gtmarket.ru/ratings/gender-equity-index-un/info 71 https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-human-capital-report-2017 - taken into account are more than 50 indicators, which are combined into four main groups: education (primary, secondary, higher) and professional training; healthcare, physical and psychological well-being; work placement and employment; infrastructure, legal protection, and social mobility.
61
potential/education, realization of the potential, development and know-how. Although by
the indicator of enrolment in education, Armenia comes third, by the indicator of potential
realization, which includes gender gap in the employment area and unemployment, it ranks
114th, which demonstrates an ineffective realization of the human capital.
The obstacles, which women confront in the labor market, lead to non-full utilization
of human capital and economic losses not only for women and their families, but also for the
entire society.
62
In Armenia, only half of the women participate in the labor market, which is lower by
21.6% as compared to men. One of the reasons for this gap is the role of women as custodians
of households imposed on them by gender norms. The main obstacles for women are often
determined by difficulties of reconciling responsibilities associated with the care of the family
and work, which leads to low participation of women in the labor market and employment
area, their lower income and other manifestations of inequality.
Disrimination by employers is an additional factor for restricting women’s participation
in the labor market. And although the RA Constituion and Labor Code define principles
prohibiting discrimination, they are not always applied. The existence of discrimination can
partially explain persistence of gender gaps in Armenia.
Employment
Women’s share in labor resources is 55%, however, 55.8% of women and 75.2% of men
are economically active. The gender gap in the economic activity of women and men in the
63
age group of 25-34 is 41.6%, which is parimarily conditioned by women’s family
responsibilities (pregnancy, childbirth, care of children and other family members).72
Indicator Score Place Female Male
Economic participation and opportunities73 0.673 78/153
Workforce participation % 0.742 96/153 55.8 75.2
Management, high-level positions % 0.419 88/153 29.5 70.5
Specialists, professionals % 1/153 1.000 64.2 35.8
Within the overall number of the employed, women make up 47.5% and men – 52.5%:
Thirty point three per cent of the employed women and 28.1% of the employed men have
higher or postgraduate education. Nevertheless, women make up only 29.5% of those in
leadership positions.
Indicator Measure
Workforce participation Female Male Value
Workforce/mln 0.55 0.60 0.48
Unemployed adults (15-64) % 18.2 18.3 1.0
Part-time employed 42.9 23.8 1.80
Both women and men are primarily hired workers. The majority of employers and the
self-employed are men, whereas women exceed men among family members working without
remuneration. More women than men are employed in the state sector of the economy.
Thirty-nine point two per cent of women and 21.6% of men are employed part-time, which is
primarily conditioned by the nature of work and its seasonality. Another more prevalent
reason in case of women is the absence of the opportunity to work full-time due to family
72 Women and Men in Armenia, 2019, the RA National Statistical Service, https://armstat.am/file/article/gender_2019.pdf 73 2020 Global Gender Gap Report, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf
64
responsibilities, and, in case of men, the reason is that they simply have not been able to find
a full-time job.
From left to right: Agriculture; Industry; Construction; Trade, repair, transportation and storage services; Information and communication; Finance and insurance; Real estate; Professional and scientific, technical, and administrative activities; Public administration, education, and healthcare; Other services.
Agriculture in the republic is the largest employment area, where around 34% of the
employed are working. Forty-eight per cent of them are women, which makes women a very
important participant in the agricultural development. The share of agriculture in men’s
employment structure is 24%, and in women’s employment structure – 26%. In fact, it is
women who create the larger portion of agricultural produce and they are the main guarantors
for food supply and survival of households in rural areas. At the same time, women’s
employment in the agricultural sector is primarily non-formal by it nature, which allows to
describe women as representatives of the lowest-paid and socially unprotected segment.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Զբաղվածներն ըստ տնտեսական գործունեության խոշոր խմբերի1, 2018թ.Employed Population by Major Sectors of Economic Activity1, 2018 1 Դասակարգման հիմքը՝
Տնտեսական գործունեության տեսակների Հայաստանի դասակարգիչ (խմբ. 2 ):Based on the national version of Classifi
Կ/W % Տ/M %
65
According to the data of a comprehensive agricultural registry, women head 25% of rural
households.
Women-headed households are more vulnerable due to the absence of the agricultural
machinery, difificult access to land plots, and problems related to irrigation and financial
means.
Unemployment
According to the 2019 Human Development Report, employment difference between
women and men of Armenia is 1.02.
The unemployment rate in Armenia is the highest from among CIS countries.74 It
makes up 21% among women and 20.1% among men. At the same time, there are essential
gender differences in terms of unemployment duration and reasons for not working. Sixty-
seven point eight per cent of the officially registered unemployed are women and long-term
unemployment level is especially high among women, making up 62% of the unemployed
women.75
74 http://www.cisstat.com/ 75 Women and Men in Armenia, 2019, the RA National Statistical Service.
66
The young (16- to 30-year-olds) continue to remain a stable vulnerable group in the
labor market with 47.9% of economic activity, 30.3% of low employment rate and,
respectively, 36.7% of high unemployment rate. According to the 2018 data, almost 46% of
the female young and 34% of the male young in the age group of 15-29 did not study and did
not work.76
Wage differences77
Overall, the gender situation in the labor market of Armenia is characterized by vertical
(unequal access to career growth) and horizontal (according to professions and employment
areas) segregation, which leads to a significant gender pay gap.
According to the 2017-2018 data, women’s average monthly nominal salary (earnings)
in Armenia made up 64.7% of that of men, or gender pay gap was 35.3%. Over the past ten
years, this difference has decreased by only six percentage points.
Due to the difficulties existing in women’s professional advancement, a high education
level does not always alleviate gender pay gap. Vertical segregation persists even in
employment areas traditionally considered feminine: healthcare, education, culture, and
agriculture. Men holding leadership positions exceed women by 2.4 times. Women are more
engaged in jobs requiring high (59%) and medium-level (58%) qualifications than men.
Surveys conducted in the republic reveal that the public opinion justifies the difference
in women's and men’s pay, believing that in the event of a working woman the man’s salary
should definitely be higher than that of the woman since otherwise the woman might use this
circumstance by showing “disobedience” in family relations.78 No advocacy work is carried
out by the authorities in this direction, which contributes to preservation of gender
76 Ibidem 77 Gender Pay Gap 78 Center for Gender Research and Leadership, Armenia’s Gender Barometer, Yerevan, 2015, http://www.ysu.am/files/Gender%20Barometer.Armenia.English.pdf
67
stereotypes.
There are gender differences also in the amount of pensions although the RA Law on
State Pensions sets 63 years as a common retirement age for women and men. In 2018, the
average amount of pensions for women stood at 39 158 drams and that of men was 42 520
drams.79
Economically non-active population
Thirty-one point two per cent of the economically non-active population are men, and
52.8% are women. The gender gap is particularly high in the are group of 25-49 (64.9%-
79 Women and Men in Armenia, 2019, the RA National Statistical Service, https://armstat.am/file/article/gender_2019.pdf
68
71.5%), which is also primarily conditioned by women’s family responsibilities: pregnancy,
childbirth, child care, household workload, etc.80
The larger portion of the economically non-active women are housewives. In 2019,
47% of 15- to 75- year-old women did not have jobs and did not look for one, being primarily
busy with housekeeping. Women perform the larger part of unpaid household work, which
does not undergo any value assessment and is not reflected in the national accounts system.
At the same time, around 40% of the economically non-active women have a higher or
secondary vocational education.81
Research demonstrates that if more women worked in Armenia by their profession and
did not limit themselves, of their own free will or against their will, to being just housewives,
the gross domestic product, GDP, of Armenia’s economy would be higher by at least 50-60
million dollars.82
Obstacles to finding a job
According to the data of the time budget survey carried out by the RA National
Statistical Service in 2008, women spend five times more time on unpaid work (housekeeping
and family care) than men. The paid work does not free up women from household work to
the same extent as men. As a consequence, women perform bigger volume of work as
compared to men. Men spend three times more time on paid work and have almost 30% more
free time than women.
Both women and men note that the primary reason for obstacles to finding a job is lack
of workplaces. The second reason is insufficient work experience for women and low wages
for men. This fact indirectly proves that women’s expectations in terms of remuneration for
work are lower than those of men. Women constitute a significant majority (70%) among the
hopeless, i.e. among those persons who have no hope to find a job and do not even seek one.
The intention to leave the country is more pronounced among men and is a major reason for
not working.
What does research demonstrate?
80 Ibidem 81 The Labor Market in Armenia, 2019, the RA National Statistical Service, https://armstat.am/am/?nid=82&id=2226 82 Diagnostic Study of Discrimination against Women, UNFPA, 2016
69
62% of men and 56% of men believe that when there are few jobs,
men should have more extensive rights to get a job than women.
60.4% of men and 41.1% of women believe that men perform more
responsible jobs better.
48% of men and 29% of women agree with the opinion that women
belong in the kitchen and their primary role is to bring up children.
The state support measures in reconciling family responsibilities and career are not
satisfactory, which is attested by the fact that 98% of those not working due to family
circumstances are women. This fact is also conditioned by lack of daycare institutions for
children, especially in the regions and rural communities.
Children's enrolment in preschool institutions (among 0- to five- year-olds) is 28.9%:
35.6% in urban areas and 17.2% in rural areas. The enrolment is particularly low among 0- to
two-year-old children, making up just 5.2%.
Poverty
In 2018, the poverty rate in Armenia was 23.5% with 1% being extremely poor and
10.6%83 very poor.84 Fifty-six point six per cent of the poor are women and 43.4% are men.
In 2018, the poverty rate of woman-headed households (they make up 33% in the
republic85) was higher than that of man-headed households (28% vis-a-vis 22%). In 2018,
woman-headed households accounted for 30% of the poor and 25% of the entire population.
As compared to the average rate in the republic, woman-headed households with children
under the age of six run a bigger risk of (by 1.6 times) of being poor (Table 3.13). In urban
areas, the chances of being poor for the noted households are higher than in rural areas (40.8%
vis-a-vis 31.8%).86
Poverty rates according to the sex of the household head, 2018,87 %
83 Poverty Snapshot in Armenia, 2008-2018, https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_2.pdf, page 41 84 The term ‘very poor’ was replaced by ‘moderately poor’ https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_2.pdf,
page 21 85 Women and Men in Armenia, 2019, https://www.armstat.am/file/article/gender_2019.pdf, page 88 86 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_2.pdf, page 54 87 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_2.pdf, page 55
70
Sex of the Household Head Extremely
poor
Poor % of the poor
population
% of the
general
population
Male, Head 0.9 22.0 69.8 74.6
Female, Head, including: 1.3 28.0 30.2 25.4
Female Head without children
under the age of 6
0.9 25.2 20.9 19.5
Female Head with children
under the age of 6
2.4 37.3 9.3 5.9
Total 1.0 23.5 100 100
Armenia: Poverty rates according to the sex of the household head based on the population of a given year,
2008-201888
Form left to right: Male Head; Female Head; Female Head without children; Female Head with
children
Entrepreneurship
The economy cannot develop to the fullest of its potential unless women and men are
full participants in the country’s development processes. The World Bank report on Women,
Business and the Law 202089 published very recently evaluates those laws that relate to
women’s work and entrepreneurial activity and are aimed at expanding women’s economic
88 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_2.pdf, page 55 89 World Bank. 2020. Women, Business and the Law 2020. Women, Business and the Law. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1532-4. License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/32639/9781464815324.pdf?sequence=10
71
opportunities and ensuring gender equality. According to the report’s evaluation, 40 countries
in the world have introduced 62 legislative improvements, which will help women to realize
their potential and promote their countries’ economic growth and development.90
According to the report, Armenia ranks 69th with a total score of 82.5 among 190
countries. In particular, by the criterion of mobility the Republic of Armenia has 100 points,
by job placement -50, by work remuneration – 75, by marriage -100, by maternal care – 60, by
business management -75, by property administration -100, and by pension provision – 100
points. According to the 2020 Global Gender Gap Report, business structures headed by
women or those with a share by women constitute just 14.5% vis-à-vis 85.5% in case of men.91
The RA Governement views the advanced development of the economy’s private
sector, and in particular of small and medium-sized businesses as an effective means for solving
employment and social problems. According to the assessment of the Republican Council of
Armenian Entrepreneurs, women’s share in large, medium-sized and small businesses does not
exceed 10%. Women’s share in microbusiness is larger and constitutes 20-25%.92
Over the recent years, the principle of classifying the employed by status in
employment according to the ILO International Classification of Status in Employment has
been applied to draw a distinction between hired and non-hired workers. According to that
principle, an employer is the person who, on his/her own or with a number of partners, pursues
profitable activity and, for that purpose, always engages one or more hired workers. However,
the change in classification did not lead to a change in the situation and the percentage of
female employers is significantly lower (0.3) than the percentage of male employers (1.4), see
below:93
90 The report authors have made use of a 100-point system to evaluate the legislative field promoting women’s economic participation, with eight criteria characterizing a woman’s practical life: mobility, work place, remuneration, marriage, maternal care, entrepreneurship, property administration, and pension. 91 http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf 92 Gender policy in Armenia and the Right of Women Entrepreneurship
http://employers.am/News.aspx?NewsId=39&lang=eng 93 https://www.armstat.am/file/article/trud_2019_4.pdf
72
In Armenia, gender aspects of private enterprise are not always taken into account by
organizations operating in this field and supporting business development. To start a business,
women have to overcome the following obstacles: lack of practical skills and preparedness, a
feeling of uncertainty and absence of the desire to run a risk, absence of business relations, and
the existence of stereotypes on women’s participation in the economy and business. The
objective reasons for this situation include limited access to finance, difficulties in securing a
loan, absence of property to receive financial means and loans, high interest rates, etc.94
In reality, support for women’s entrprise has a huge potential. In the Republic of
Armenia, the RA Law on State Support for Small and Meidum-Sized Enteprises outlines the
main directions of state support for SMEs, which include assistance for women’s enterprise.
Special Strategy for Women’s Enterprise developed in 2014 targets to expand women’s
participation in the economic development and women’s entrepreneurship, and the 2016-2018
Strategy on SME Development also defines the latter as a strategic objective.
At the level of implementation, the annual program on state support for SMEs contains
a special section on women’s enterprise. In 2016-208, the Government offered training and
consultative services to enterprises with little or no experience, carried out capacity-building
activities and organized the Prime Minister’s prize giving ceremony on the Best Female
Entrepreneur. These activities receieved funding support from donors, for example, SME
94 Gender Assessment USAID/Armenia
73
DSC95 and Asian Development Bank had provided a one-time assistance, training and advisory
services to startups. Actions and indicators related to awareness raising and role models were
incorporated into the strategy on women’s entrepreneurship, and the 2016-2018 Strategy on
SME Development includes women’s enterprise support as a priority.96
To help women’s entrepreneurship and their access to financial means in a broader
sense and to support women’s engagement in business, the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD) is implementing the program on Women in Business. The European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development provides financial means for development of
female-managed SMEs to local banks through its credit lines, as well as business consultations,
which allows enterprises to enhance their competitiveness. In 2015-2017, within the
framework of the program, it provided more than 36.3 million Euros to its partner banks in
the region (six countries). More than 576 women have benefited from access to knowledge
(know-how), including through around 246 consultative programs implemented in the
region.97
However, support at the national level is very limited and is offered only in the capital
city. Frequently, NGOs are the main promoters of women’s entrepreneurship. Overall,
following the recent assessment of the Small Business Act, support for women’s enterprise has
remained stable, however, there is a significant room for improvement. Moving forward,
Armenia should enhance the coordination of its stakeholders as regards women’s
entrepreneurship through a national constructive partnership, for example, through the SME
Development Council. Such a partnership should involve all pivotal stakeholders and head
development of policies in this area.
Thus, the action plan can include promotional activities, such as dissemination of
successs stories of women entrepreneurs, as well as can envision capacity-building activities,
such as training to improve the competencies of women in leadership and management.
Moreover, the assignment of the functions of monitoring the progress and results and of impact
assessment to instituions, for example, to SME DSC, will be an important step towards ensuring
the necessary flexibility of strategic improvements and activity effectiveness envisioned by the
95 Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship Development Support Center (SME DSC), currently, Investment Support Center Foundation (ISCF). 96 OECD et al. (2020), SME Policy Index: Eastern Partner Countries 2020: Assessing the Implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe, SME Policy Index, European Union, Brussels/OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/8b45614b-en https://www.oecd.org/global-relations/SMEPI-EaP-2020-Armenia.pdf
97 EBRD program Women in Business, http://www.eu4business.eu/hy/programme/gortsarar-kanayk
74
strategy. The statistical data on the business sector, including periodic collection of sex-
disaggregated data, can be one of the pivotal areas for improvement.
Women in the area of information technologies
Armenia comes first in the world in terms of women’s engagement in the area of
information technologies. By this indicator, Armenia is ahead of the US, Canada, and a number
of European countries, which is confirmed by research carried out by Enterprise Incubator
Foundation. According to the data of the Statistical Committee of Armenia, the number of
girls in Departments for Information Technologies and Information Security at higher
education institutions of Armenia has increased by more than five times over a period of four
years.
Approximately 30% of employees in Armenia’s IT sector are women vis-a-vis 20% in
other countries. The main peculiarity of Armenia’s IT sector is not only rapid growth, but also
gender balance tendencies. For example, 33% of engineers working in leading positions for
chip design and semiconductors at the Armenian office of Synopsys are women, whereas at
the company headquarters in Silicon Valey they make up just 15%.98
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Analyzing the exercise of their economic rights by women in Armenia, one can identify the
following problems:
• The difference between de jure and de facto labor rights of women in the Republic of
Armenia;
• Discrimination against women in the labor market;
• Lack of opportunities for reconciliation of work and family responsibilities;
• The problem of business development among women;
• Lack of a mechanism for labor rights protection;
• Gender blindness of laws and programs related to the field.
Hence, acknowledging the necessity of increasing the awareness and gender sensitivity of
all stakeholders in the area of labor rights protection, we recommend the following actions:
98 Report on the State of the Industry - Enterprise Incubator Foundation, 2018
http://www.eif.am/eng/researches/report-on-the-state-of-the-
industry/?fbclid=IwAR0bxL4HHLPXhyUonUjx27yuJIxvWa7kXbfc6scT8IvD7HESPcrKqsopPB4
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• To ensure the implementation of the provisions on prohibition of discrimination
envisioned by Article 29 of the RA Constitution and on promotion of de facto equality
between women and men envisioned by Articles 30 and 86 of the RA Constitution;
• To implement the recommendations made by the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women in its Concluding Obsservations on the Republic of
Armenia’s fifth and sixth periodic reports by introducing relevant ammendments to the
new Strategic Program on the RA Gender Policy and Action Plan, prioritizing the
objectives related to the socio-economic area;
• To carry out awareness raising activities on the RA Law on Ensuring Equal Rights and
Equal Opportunities for Women and Men to promote the advocacy and realization of
the opportunities provided for in the law;
• To provide for opportunities for reconciliation of family and professional
responsibilities by women, to support creation of family models based on equal division
of family responsibilities and mutual respect;
• To ensure the modernization of the strategy for support of women’s entrepreneurship
and formation of a constructive partnership for policies, shifting assistance to women’s
entrepreneurship to the next level;
• For the purpose of ensuring the relevance and quality of trainings, the Government
should consider creation of a system on collection and analysis of data on SME skills;
• To ensure the expansion of the sphere of competence of the SME Development Council
and introduction of working groups on enterpeneurship training and women’s
enterprise. It is important to develop the Council’s potential to coordinate various
stakeholders in all areas of policies on human capital development.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
• To carry out gender expertise and mainstreaming of labor legislation to ensure equal
exercise of labor rights by women;
• To create a structure overseeing the enforcement of labor legislation;
• To set quotas for ensuring women’s sufficient engagement in top levels of the
management of private and state organizations and councils of companies with state
and community participation.
***
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REFERENCES
The RA laws and legal documents
• The RA Constitution, 2005
• The RA Constitutions, 2015
• The RA Law on Education, 1999
• The RA Law on Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education, 2004
• The RA Law on Preschool Education, 2005
• The RA Law on Primary Vocational (Craftsmanship) and Secondary Vocational Education,
2005
• The RA Law on General Education, 2009
• The RA Law on Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, 2013
• Gender Policy Conceptual Framework, 2010 https://www.gov.am/u_files/file/kananc-
xorh/Gender-hayecakarg.pdf
• The 2011-2015 Strategic Program on the Republic of Armenia Gender Policies
• The 2019-2023 Strategy for Implementation of Gender Policies in the Republic of Armenia
• The National Action Plan on Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on
Women, Peace and Security
• The RA Government’s Decree N 483-N of May 4, 2017
• The RA Labor Code
• The RA Law on Employment, 2013 https://www.arlis.am/documentview.aspx?docid=87734
• Annual state programs on employment regulation
• Decree on Endorsing the Procedure for Assignment and Payment of Maternity Allowance to
Non-Working Persons
International documents
• The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995)
• The UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960)
• The UN Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,
CEDAW (1979)
• Concluding Observations of the CEDAW Committee
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women ՛՛Concluding observations on
the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Armenia՛՛, 25 November 2016
https://documents-dds-
ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N16/402/28/PDF/N1640228.pdf?OpenElement
• A World Ready to Learn: Prioritizing quality early childhood education, global report, UNICEF
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/A%20World%20Ready%20to%20Lear
n_MAIN%20REPORT%20%28embargoed%20until%209%20APRIL%29.pdf
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• Sustainable Development Goals https://www.un.am/hy/p/sdgs-in-general
• The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security
http://peacewomen.org/countries_and_regions/393
Statistical materials
• Women and Men in Armenia, 2019 https://www.armstat.am/am/?nid=82&id=2215
• Armenia in Figures, Living Standards and Social Sphere, 2019
https://www.armstat.am/file/article/armenia_2019_5.pdf
• The Social Situation of the Republic of Armenia in 2018
https://www.armstat.am/am/?nid=82&id=2182
• Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia, Armenia: Non-Material Poverty, 2018
https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2018_a_4.pdf
• The Social Situation of the Republic of Armenia in 2012,
https://www.armstat.am/file/article/soc_12_3-4.pdf
• Women and Men in Armenia, 2009, https://www.armstat.am/am/?nid=82&id=1094
• Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia, Armenia: Non-Material Poverty, 2009
https://www.armstat.am/am/?nid=82&id=1085
• The Labor Market in Armenia, 2019, the RA National Statistical Service,
https://armstat.am/am/?nid=82&id=2226
• Poverty Snapshot in Armenia in 2008-2018
https://www.armstat.am/file/article/poverty_2019_a_2.pdf
Research
• The Global Gender Gap Report 2020, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf
• The Human Development Report 2019 http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/2019-human-
development-index-ranking
• Social Watch Report 2019, https://gtmarket.ru/ratings/gender-equity-index-un/info
• The Human Capital Report, World Economic Forum 2017
https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-human-capital-report-2017
• Center for Gender Research and Leadership, the Gender Barometer of Armenia, Yerevan,
2015 http://www.ysu.am/files/Gender%20Barometer.Armenia.English.pdf
• Diagnostic Study of Discrimination against Women in Armenia, UNFPA, 2016
http://armenia.unfpa.org/hy/node/7000
• World Bank. 2020. Women, Business and the Law 2020. Women, Business and the Law.
Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1532-4. License: Creative Commons
Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/32639/9781464815324.pdf?seq
uence=10
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• Gender Policy in Armenia and the Right of Women Entrepreneurship
http://employers.am/News.aspx?NewsId=39&lang=eng
• Gender Assessment USAID/Armenia,2020
• OECD et al. (2020), SME Policy Index: Eastern Partner Countries 2020: Assessing the
Implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe, SME Policy Index, European Union,
Brussels/OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/8b45614b-en
https://www.oecd.org/global-relations/SMEPI-EaP-2020-Armenia.pdf
• EBRD, Women in Business http://www.eu4business.eu/hy/programme/gortsarar-kanayk
• Report on the State of the Industry, Enterprise Incubator Foundation, 2018
http://www.eif.am/eng/researches/report-on-the-state-of-the-
industry/?fbclid=IwAR0bxL4HHLPXhyUonUjx27yuJIxvWa7kXbfc6scT8IvD7HESPcrKqsopP
B4
• Report on Assessment of the Implementation of 2011-2015 Gender Policy Strategic Plan and
2011-2015 National Action Plan to Combat Gender-based Violence, UNDP, UNFPA,
UNICEF, 2015 https://www.un.am/up/library/Assessement_2011-
2015_Gender%20Policy_arm.pdf
• Gender Aspects of Access to Education (experimental study), ProMedia-Gender NGO, Oxfam,
2014
• The Process of Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, Millennium Development
Goals and the UN Convention on the Political Rights of Women in the Republic of Armenia,
2014 http://aawue.am/change/uploads/2014/07/PEKIN-FINAL-1.pdf
• Training Manual for Judges and Prosecutors on Ensuring Women’s Access to Justice, 2017
https://rm.coe.int/tm-general-part-women-s-access-to-justice-arm-web/16808e9a3b
• Armenia – Leveling the STEM playing field for women: differences in opportunity and
outcomes in fields of study and the labor market, 2017
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/512861495789491335/pdf/ACS21924-
ARMENIA-PUBLIC-ArmeniaGenderandSTEMFINALArmenian.pdf
• Equity in Education in Armenia, the research is based on actual data obtained from TIMSS
2003-2015, Open Society Foundations, 2018 http://www.osf.am/wp-
content/uploads/2018/11/Equity_TIMSS_am.pdf
• The Accessibility of General Education Schools: The Law in Practice, 2018 “Disability and
Inclusive Development” NGO https://transparency.am/files/publications/1547306001-0-
256208.pdf
• Men and Gender Equality in Armenia, Report on Findings of the Sociological Survey, 2016
https://armenia.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/MEN-AND-GENDER-
EQUALITY_ARM_July_2017_finalized_0.pdf
• Gender Analysis of Armenian School Curriculum and Textbooks, policy brief, 2016
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/283891470062701229/pdf/107207-ARMENIAN-
PUBLIC-ARMFinalpolicynoteexpandedandeditedJuly.pdf
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• Osipov, V. & Sargizova, J. (2015). General assessment of the content of the Armenian
literature, Armenian history, and Social Science school subjects from a gender perspective.
Yerevan: World Bank
• Assessment of Teacher Professional Development and Educational Content in the Context of
General Education Reforms in Armenia, “Barev” NGO, 2013
• Assessment of Implementation of Inclusive Education in the Republic of Armenia, Center for
Educational Research and Consulting, 2013 http://www.osf.am/wp-
content/uploads/2013/11/Inclusive-education-report_ARM-without-tools.pdf
• Republic of Armenia Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform
for Action, Beijing+25, Government report, 2019.
https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/Gender/Beijing_20/Armenia.pdf
Electronic press
WomenNet.am, Women and Politics, informational and analytical portal http://womennet.am/